Mass Effect: Spade
by Kad Dawn
Summary: Join Adrian Dawn as he is transported from our world to the Mass Effect world. Trained to be an assassin/bounty hunter, he must use his skills to help Commander Eden Shepard and her crew fight Saren and the Geth. However, he has demons of his own. Can Shepard save him? Or will he be taken before the war is over? SI/OC, with some AU. Rated T but may change. Possibly OCXFemShep.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: How's it going!? I'm Kad Dawn, and I've been out of FanFiction for a while. I'm back, with new ideas and new stories to share. And this is one of them**

**Spade, is my shot at an SI/OC story. It follows Adrian Dawn and his journey with Commander Shepard and the crew from all three games. It will mainly be his POV but others will appear. Shepard is a FemShep, Colonist, WarHero, Paragon, and Biotic. Adrian is a crossbread of all tech classes. **

**This is my first time making a SI fic, so please be gentle. Will be some AU but will follow the game most of the time.**

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Chapter 1: Not Planned

I sighed. Today was not how I planned it to be. First off, allow me to introduce myself. My name Is Adrian, Adrian Dawn to be exact. I'm twenty-two years old, average working American, and going to school when I can. I was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. I'm also a military brat. Moving around the country from base to base. Having friends for about a year or two than moving on to the next school. Not only that but my dad forced me into training, and at a young age to. I was able to shoot a rifle from a hundred yards and hit the mark. Now, I can do that in five hundred yards. Other than that, I'm pretty acrobatic. Track and field was my life in high school, and I loved gymnastics. Parkour was another thing I picked up on, and was also pretty handy when I wanted to escape the house. When I was old enough and out of high school, I packed my bags, said my goodbyes, and left. At first it was pretty awesome. Nothing really holding me back. I wasn't a complete idiot, but I did some crazy stuff. A year ago, however, my father was killed in combat. He was a Marine, and was on his way to retiring. "Just one more tour" he would tell us. When he passed, it hit mom pretty hard. She was a tough southern bell, and even though she tried to hid it, I knew it was hard for her to live without the love of her life. Eventually, she would pass on as well in a freak accident. She made it to the hospital, but she lost a lot of blood. I will never forget that night. She looked into my eyes, smiled, told me that she and dad were proud and loved me very much. She said the house was mine since it wasn't on base, and I could do whatever I wanted with it. She passed with a smile on her face. My father's name the last thing she will ever say.

Anyway, I'm getting of topic. Just to wrap things up about my history, I gave family heirlooms to, well, family of course. Sold unwanted items, gave my father's gun collection to my uncle, and sold the house moving into an apartment in my hometown, New Orleans. The only thing I kept were my father's tag, and my mother's wedding ring. She told me to keep it whenever I met "the one". So, back to why my day sucked. One, I failed a test in one of my classes. Two, I was "let go" at my job. And three, my girlfriend thought it would be great to break up with me because, and I quote, that I "hunt innocent animals, my friends are rednecks, and I'm pro military." Ok, seriously, if I had known my girlfriend was some PETA bitch from New York, I wouldn't have gone out with her in the first place. When I first met her, I told her that I would sometimes hunt for money, and that I'm from a military family. How we've been together for close to a year is beyond me. And my friend aren't rednecks, they're from military families also and we formed a group to help kids that have lost family due to combat since we all did.

I sighed again. Honestly, I just wanted to take a shower, lay down, and play some games. Mass Effect sounds good. Doesn't hurt saving the galaxy every now and then. And I wasn't to bothered with the ending. The Extended Cut answered some questions and closed some details. The only thing I would like would be a mission where the romance option goes and finds Shepard in the Citadel. For the guys, Miranda or Tali finding Shepard and having some epic romantic dialogue scene. And for the ladies, I'm thinking Garrus holding FemShep bridal style, carrying her out of the Citadel, with some random ass explosion in the back. Damn, I should be a writer for Bioware. I would get shit done!

When I got to my apartment complex I could fill the breeze coming from shore. Looks like a storm is rolling in. I freeran up to the second floor to my apartment and walked in. It was an average one bedroom apartment, with a small living room and kitchen. Best place for a single guy at the moment. I dropped my pack on the couch, lazily started taking my clothes off, and jumped in the shower. The water was refreshing, and I started daydreaming. Even though this day went to shit, I've gone through worse with losing my parents. Damn... It be close to two years. I'm going to need a plan a trip soon. My parents were buried in their hometown in Texas. San Angelo I think, it was one of those small towns Texas is riddled with. As for myself I was pretty damned proud of my hometown. I don't want to brag, but this is one of the best cities in the world. I've seen Las Vegas, and it just doesn't compare. And yes, I have that sly Cajun accent, but who doesn't love that.

I got out of the shower, dressed in athletic pants and a black muscle shirt. I sat on my bed and picked up my dad's tags. I looked them over for a bit, then put them back on my dresser. As for my mom's ring I found a little box for it. I always took both items with me wherever I went . Reminds me that they will always be there with me. I turned my Xbox on, popped in the first Mass Effect since I'm feeling that bored. As the loading screen flashes on my screen, I hear something coming from the living room. Curious, I got up to check what it was. Walking out of my room, I heard something in the kitchen. I checked it out, but nothing was there. The hell? I should of sworn I heard something. Then I heard a bang in my room. I ran into my room, Only to be blinded by some wicked white light. I shielded my eyes, and tried to see past it. From what I can tell, there was a slim figure standing within the light. It walked towards me. I wanted to move but for some reason my body wouldn't listen to me. The figure brought a hand up, and the next thing I knew, I felt a shocking pain course through my body. I clenched my teeth and eyes shut, trying to fight the pain, but it was too much. When the pain resided, my vision blurred and my world went black.

3rd POV

Adrian stirred, and slowly woke up on a cold tiled floor. He looked around seeing that he was in a large penthouse apartment. Groggy, he slowly stood up and tried to get a grasps on where he was. Little did he know, a figure was standing behind him.

"Finally awake I see." The figures voice was high pitched but male. Adrian turned and was wide eyed to see a Salarian standing before him. The Salarian put his hand up. "Don't be alarmed. I mean you no harm." Adrian took a step back.

"The hell is going?!" he yelled in his Cajun drawl. The Salarian took a breath. This may be difficult.

"Adrian Dawn. My name is Nalik, and I was tasked to bring you from your universe to this one." Adrian cocked an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about? I can't be at another univer-" Adrian stopped as he looked outside to see what he knew as Omega. Adrian felt his stomach crawl. He was in Omega, no doubt about that. Nalik walked to the window, and looked at Adrian. Adrian gulped. "Alright then. This isn't a dream, is it?" Nalik smiled.

"No not a dream. This is all real Mr. Dawn." Adrian sighed, and looked at the floor, trying to get a grasp on things.

"Okay. So then why zap me here?" Nalik was prepared for this.

"Allow me to explain as discreetly as possible. I work for a very secret organization. Far more secret than the Shadow Broker. We discovered an emanate danger that will soon come to this galaxy, and we needed someone with the right abilities to help stop it. That is where you come in." Adrian crossed his arms.

"So, what you are saying is that the Reapers are real, and you expect me to, what? Fight them?"

"Not by yourself. We know that Commander Shepard was the, "Chosen One" to fight the Reapers. You, will be part of the Commanders squad."

Adrian shook his head. This was too much. He wasn't like his father. He wasn't a Marine. He wasn't some war hero that can dive into the fray and come out with nothing but a few scratches.

"Why me?" Adrian asked.

"You may not know it, but you have received training. Your father was a Marine, and at a young age he trained you. You are an amazing marksmen, you can fight hand to hand, and your agility is twice as better than normal humans. And with training, you will be even better."

Adrian sighed and then shrugged. No way to back down from this now.

"Fine, I'll help. But what part will I play in all this? I can't just join the Alliance Military and expect to be transferred to the Normandy." Nalik grinned.

"Well, since you are an experienced hunter, you will be trained to be an assassin and bounty hunter." Adrian raised his eyebrow at that. An assassin? A bounty hunter? At first he was uncomfortable with the idea, but then remembering all the bullshit characters he wanted to kill so bad from the games he figured that it might not be a bad idea after all. And he was getting trained for it.

"Alright then, I can accept that. However, I'm going to need some gear. You don't expect me to fight barefoot and with this on." He motioned at his clothing. Nalik chuckled and turned on his omnitool. With a few swipes a closet door opened.

"Already taking care of." Adrian raised his eyebrow. Inside the closet were clothes and some weapons. The clothes consisted of military combat boots, digital camouflaged combat cargo pants, a black sleeveless shirt with material similar to under armor, two black open-fingered gloves and a silver leather jacket with some black trimming. Adrian quickly put the clothes on and was surprised at how well it fitted him. The jacket was probably his favorite. He picked up a belt, which was probably more of a utility belt, and strapped it on. He looked in a mirror and was well satisfied. Now the weapons satisfied him even more. A Phalanx heavy pistol with a silencer attachment, N7 Hurricane SMG, and an odd sniper rifle he has never seen before. The sniper rifle looked more like a Barrett 50 cal. Adrian took the weapon from its rack and examined it closer. It was lighter than any weapon he every carried. The size was close to the original rifle from the 21st century, just a little shorter. The one thing that surprised him the most was the drum magazine it had.

"Beautiful isn't it. Crafted that weapon myself. We wanted you to have a signature weapon, so I decided to make something similar to what your snipers used in your time. The scope can reach a range of about a mile, and can switch to different modes such as thermal and night vision. With some modification, I was able to get the design and mechanics to work exactly like the original, with some advances. It is extremely light weight, but still strong enough to fire. It can fire up to ten shots as well. Another thing is that you can switch different tactical modes. That is where the drum comes in. As you can see there are different switches for different modes such as Explosive, EMP, and a new Warp for biotic barriers. I named it Sicarius, a Latin word from your species meaning Assassin."

Adrian was impressed. Complicated design of course, but still, he was happy to have such a weapon. He holstered his weapons. Sicarius on his back, and the other weapons holstered to his belt. He also had a combat knife which he tied to his belt as well. With the gear he had, he was ready to go to work. However, Nalik wasn't finished there. He opened a case revealing a helmet. The helmet looked like Iron Man's helmet, however was different in many areas. One, it was black instead of hot rod red. And instead of a face, it had what looked like a skull design. The eyes matched that of what the Punisher had for his skull and glowed white, and the mouth was five vertical slits, the middle being the longest and the other smaller than the one before. Nalik told him that when he talks the lines will glow white as well. Impressed, Adrian picked up the helmet and put it on. It was surprisingly comfortable. With a click, a HUD was displayed. It was very similar to how Iron Man's worked in the movies. Like the scope it had different fields of visions. It also had a scanner for eezo, and DNA, which will come in handy. It had a tracking system which will work Sicarius scope. And finally, it had a target researcher. Adrian would select a target and it will research every little information about him, including if the target had a hit on them.

"This is nice work Nalik. I'm impressed. So, straight to business. Where do we start?" Adrian asked. Nalik grinned.

"First training, then we will get to work." For the first time today, Adrian smiled. He was right about one thing. Today didn't go as planned.

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**Well, there is the first chapter. Second will come up soon** **after some.**

**Little trivia. Adrian is my real name (It is a Self-Insert so why not use my name). I'm not really from New Orleans, but I love the city, and plan to live there (Yes I have been there). I can do Parkour, but I'm not perfect. In later chapters there will be some French and I will have translations. Music is heavily involved in my writing, as they help me shape my characters. For this story, the Assassins Creed 3 ost worked out perfectly for me.**

**Well that's that. Please review as they are always helpful, and keep an eye out for up coming chapters coming soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

**How's it going everyone?! Kad Dawn with the next chapter to "Spade". First of, WOW, I never really expected Spade to get as much attention as it is getting. I thought maybe one review and if I'm lucky two maybe three followers, but nope, expectation exceeded. So, to give my thanks I will be posting the second chapter and maybe the third, not sure yet.**

**To those who reviewed, thank you very much.**

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Chapter 2: Seven years later

_Adrian POV_

Well, within seven years, I have become a hardened bounty hunter and assassin. The first two years was mainly training. Getting familiar with the galaxy, my weapons, hand to hand combat, and with an omnitool. I also got some hard earned upgrades. Nalik provided me with a state of the art shield barrier. It was strong enough to take some serious punishment, but like any other shields, it doesn't last forever and always needs matience. I also got a tactical cloaking upgrade for when I need to get in and out. My omnitool was also upgraded so I can use tech powers such as Incinerate and Cryo and some advanced tech like Snap Freeze and Tech Armor. My free running has increased as well. I'm not really a masterr at Parkour, but I'm better than before.

After training I mainly did work. I couldn't just sit around and wait for Commander Shepard to appear. Nalik and his organization did some "advertisement" about me. And I delivered. I've become one of the most feared, and hated bounty hunters in the galaxy. Nalik has become more of an "agent" per say for me. He will find contacts for me, I will meet them and discuss business, and then find the target and kill them. I've become really good at what I do, and I've been able to see the galaxy. I've been to Omega, which isn't so bad, that's where all the work (cheap work) is at. Illium, where they pay big money to see people removed permanently. Now, I'm in the Citadel, and I have to be extra careful. Luckily, everyone knows my helmet than my actually face, so I'm safe at that part. My weapons are cloaked just in case. Besides that, I'm still extremely careful.

Along the years I got some information about the Commander. She is a FemShep. Apparently when I was "zapped" to the Mass Effect universe, the Skyllian Blitz occurred, and Shepard was there, meaning she is a War Hero. She was also from Mindior, so she was a colony kid. Honestly, I couldn't help but feel terrible about it. She lost everything, kind of like me. Still, I had work to do. I need to help her save the galaxy, and feeling sorry for her isn't going to do anything.

Oh, I forgot to mention, Nalik was able to get my father's tags and mother's ring. He modified the tags to look more modern for this world, and the ring he left alone out of respect. My parents wouldn't be so proud of me now, but if I told them that this was to save a galaxy, they would probably understand, I think. I always had the tags on, and the ring I kept hidden in a pocket inside my jacket.

Other than that, my physical appearance has changed a little. I'm more toned and defined, thanks to my workout regiment I do every time I can. I had my hair changed to an ashy color and was naturally spiky, and with some genetic modification, I also changed my eyes to a smoky color. I've also gained a fair share of scares, mentally and physically. Some physical scars are normal burns, some bullet wounds, and scratches from Varren, and Vorcha. However, the most noticeable scars are have are these blue swirls on my chest and a little on my shoulders, which are from the biotic ability Warp. Nalik calls them Warp Scars. Basically the way it works, is the ability itself causes mass effect fields to burn the target, mainly burning the armor off the user. The scaring is from a job gone wrong. Long story short, I took a hit for a friend and the scars now riddle my body. Luckily my sleeveless shirt covers them up, so I don't have to worry about people noticing them without my jacket on. They worry Nalik though. He told me that if they get worse they could have serious complications. Basically, they will act like radiation burns, and my body will start to deteriorate. Nalik said I should get it looked at, but I haven't on the account of that I'm fine. Mentally, I've picked up some demons along the way. I've experienced a lot, most of it I wish I never had. But I rather not talk about it right know. That's it though, nothing else really different.

Sicarius, my favorite weapon of all time, has gained some tats. I gave the rifle a Siberian camo finish, and also seven tallies etched on the weapon for every assassination I've done with it. I've also gained a nickname from the galaxy. During my work, Nalik said I need a call sign, or a tell, so that I can make a name for myself. I picked up card tricks along the way, so as a call sign I would leave an Ace of Spades. So, because of the cards the galaxy named me "Spade". Honestly, I liked the name.

Today was my day off. I've been in the Citadel for about a year, and the news was flooded with reports of "unsolved murders". C-Sec was also struggling with finding me, not like I hope they do anytime soon. I was wearing the same outfit I got seven years ago. Apparently they only thing they really focus on is the helmet. I was walking around the wards heading towards Flux, a new club that opened. I was feeling lucky, as in maybe scoring a lovely night, or maybe a contract. I didn't have my weapons except my pistol and combat knife. I didn't want to bother with cloaking my other weapons, and I had a permit to have at least a pistol legally out on the Citadel.

I was taking my time getting to Flux. I wanted to enjoy my free time. I did my work out already, and to be honest, I wanted some interaction with people. Being an assassin you can't really have relationship with anyone. Enemies could use that to get to you, and I gained plenty of enemies.

I was about a couple of blocks away until I heard what sounded like a woman screaming. I turned and saw an Asari running away from two human thugs. Great. So much for a day off. I went after them. I followed them to an alley way similar to the one where Shepard finds Tali. The two thugs had the Asari pinned.

"We got you now. Hand over all your credits, and we will consider you leaving." A shakedown huh? I walked behind them. Wasn't that hard to sneak up to them.

"_Bonjour. _What do you two think you're doing?" I asked, my drawl catching them off guard. All three looked at me, the two thugs with confusion, and the Asari with concern.

"What's it to ya?" asked one of the thugs. I shook my head, and grinned. I pulled out a deck of cards and started shuffling. One of the thugs started laughing.

"What are ya gonna do? Show us card tricks?" I smiled. They have no idea.

"No. These cards are just for show. Helps me think. I'm curious though. What are yalls favorite card?" The thugs looked at me cross eyed, and the Asari looked at me wide eyed. She probably figured it out. The thugs didn't. "I'll tell you mine," I pulled out the Ace of Spades and showed them. Their eyes widened.

"Sp-Spa-Spade! Look man, we don't mean nothin'. We were just messing. Right sweetheart?" One thug said in a pleading manner. The Asari didn't answer, too terrified probably. I put my deck of cards in my pocket.

"Listen cat. I doubt the lady really likes your company. So I'm gonna count to three, and if I get to three and you two are not gone. Well, I'll be forced to take you out for good." The thugs looked at me confused. I rolled my eyes.

"_Un..." _I took out my Phalanx. "_d__uex..._" I attached the silencer mod on the pistol. The two thugs started to freak and tried to make a dash out of the alley. "_t__rios..." _ I quickly spinned and aimed my pistol towards them. In a matter of seconds I fired two shots, both making the mark. The thugs heads exploded and blood splattered on the walls and floors. I took out two joker cards and placed them on the bodies. I walked up to the Asari, holstering my pistol.

"You okay?" I reached out for her, but she flinched away from me. She took steps back and then bolted away.

"Murderer!" she said. Well that was rude. Oh well. Probably should clear out before any C-Sec come around. I freeran out of the alley and ended up on the Keeper catwalks. Not many people walked on these, so I should be in the clear. So much for a relaxing day. I walked along the catwalks back to where I've been staying. As I was walking I noticed something, or someone. It was a alliance military official. I could tell by the dress blues he was wearing. What was an official doing here in the wards. I followed him via by the catwalks, until he took and alleyway that the catwalks didn't follow. Damn. I jumped from the catwalks only to land on top off someone. Not my best landing.

I got up, and quickly checked to see if the other person was ok, only to see four glaring eyes at me.

"Spade! This time you will not escape!" The Batarian said. The Batarian and the four others behind him were former Blue Suns troopers. I killed their troop boss, and unfortunately they managed to figure out who I was. The five Batarians lunged at me, and I quickly dodged and took off. A pistol would not save me against five angry four eyes.

I ran into the alleyway, and was tackled by a Batarian that caught up. I shook him off me and I readied myself. I took out my combat knife as the four Batarians surrounded me.

"This time, you will die." The one that had the pleasure to "catch me".

"Come one fellas. Can't we talk about this like gentlemen?" The series of war cries answered my question. I quickly dodged and kicked at my attackers. When I saw an opening, I slashed at two of my enemies. I cut ones arm, and the other was unfortunate to have their neck cut. One fell chocking on his blood as he slowly died. The other clenched his arm, and I drove my knife at the back of his neck, killing him instantly. I brought my knife back, only to feel a fist collide with my face. I stumbled back and looked at a smirking Batarian. Cocky bastard. I readied my knife and I charged at him. I caught him by surprise as I tackled him. I drove my knife into his gut. He was about to yell out, but I twisted him around and broke his neck. Three down two to go. I quickly got my knife from the dead Batarian and turned to see another squaring off with me. He activated his omnitool to form gauntlets. I cringed at the sight. I've seen these things work, let's just say it isn't pretty. I'm going to have to time this perfectly. One punch and I'm done. I readied myself. The Batarian charged with a blood curdling scream. He sent a punch at me and I quickly dodged his punches. Once I saw my opening I quickly jabbed at him. I put as much strength into the jab. The knife found its mark right into his skull. The knife was stuck and I let the lifeless body fall.

Perfect, now all that leaves is-

"Stop right there, Spade." Shit. I turned to see a pistol in my face.

"Sneaky bastard..." I said with a sly smirk. The Batarian gave me a devilish grin. Looks like I won't be able to meet Shepard after all. Shame, I was looking forward to it. I closed my eyes, ready to accept my fate. I said my prayers. Wished Nalik and the Organization luck on finding a replacement. Told my parents I will see them soon. I heard the click of the safety coming off. Damn, I could of taking the gun off his hands. Clever son of a bitch. I counted the seconds.

**_BAM!_**

The shot rang through my ears. Was I dead? It was a shot to the head, so no pain, right? I slowly opened my eyes. I checked over my body, my face, searching for any bullet holes. I looked to the floor to see the Batarian on the floor. A bullet hole in his head. The hell? I heard footsteps on my side and turned to see that same military official I saw earlier with a pistol in his hands. I looked closer to notice that it was actually Anderson walking towards me. Everyone's favorite non-playable character from Mass Effect is walking towards me. To be honest, I'm actually honored.

"You okay son?" And there is the lovely Keith David.

"Well seeing that I'm still standing, I think I'll be alright," I said, trying to keep my cool Cajun composure.

"That accent? You must be from Louisiana," he said. I chuckled.

"_Oui Monsieur. _New Orleans to be exact." Anderson gave a small smile, then his face went back to that look Anderson is infamous for. He then pointed the pistol towards me. Fuck. He knows.

"So you are Spade. Give me one good reason I shouldn't have you arrested." Crap. I put my hands up. This may be a problem. I have to play my cards right. I was brought to this universe by the Organization to help Shepard. Anderson is one of the key figures in Shepard's life, so if I earn his trust, I could earn hers.

"I can't give you any reason. I deserve punishment for the things of done. These Batarians tried to get justice their own way, even though they are criminals themselves. Blue Suns to be exact. They hate me because I killed their boss. I'm hated by millions for the things I've done. You just saved my life, where you could of just waited for the gun to end my life. So, the real question is: Why did you stop him?"

Anderson looked at me with a hard expression. Hopefully I got to him. I could cloak, but he may get a shot out before I even get to move. Then, out of some miracle, he lowered his pistol. I sighed in relief.

"Look _Monsieur_, I may be a criminal, but I have honor. You saved my life, and for that, I'm in your dept. I'm willing to pay anything to owe you." Let's selling myself works.

"As much as I would love to see you arrested, you have a point. This group of Batarians were actually following me. Knowing on how intent they were, I'm glad someone like you stopped them. As for owing me, I think I can find something. But it will have to wait. I have business I need to attend to." That's right. Eden Prime was just around the corner. He may be talking about the mission. I nodded, and pulled out a playing card. King of Spades, perfect for the Captain. I handed him the card, on it my code to contact my omnitool.

"This is my card. You need anything, contact me." Anderson looked at for a bit, with an eyebrow raised, but he eventually nodded. He put the card in his pocket. I turned towards the alleyways entrance. I could hire sirens from C-Sec skycars. Crap, I need to get out of here. I looked at Anderson, and to my surprise, I gave me an understanding look.

"I never saw you. I just so happened to come across the corpses." I grinned, and looked around for an escape route. To my luck, I saw a Keeper walking on another set of catwalks. I looked at Anderson and gave him a mock salute.

"_Au revoir." _I took off in a sprint, and ran up the wall catching the catwalk and pulling myself up. I then took off and turned a corner. I kept running till the sirens of the patrol cars dissipated. Once I couldn't hear the sirens, I jumped off the catwalks into a market. Luckily, no one noticed, so I casually left and headed to my hideout.

My hideout was a simple apartment close to the same Wards Shepard interacts with from the first game. I made sure everything was canon also. Dr. Michel had her own office, Fist was owner of Chora's Den. As for crew members I haven't figured out yet. I read up on Garrus though. He was not that bad at his job, which was a reason why I didn't go looking for him. He may figure me out, and I can't handle that yet. He may not like me on the Normandy (If I can get in), hell the whole crew, including Shepard may hate me. I sighed. Whatever, part of the job right?

_Anderson POV_

This past week has been... interesting, to say the least. I'm originally here to speak with Udina about Shepard and getting her ready for the Spectres. Also, I was to meet with Nihlus and get everything prepared for the upcoming mission. What I didn't expect was to see the most feared assassin in the galaxy. I knew I was being followed by those Batarians, but to see him fight them off was what really got me. He handled himself pretty well. What surprised me was to see someone like him. I always thought Spade would be older and more menacing. This young man was different. He was about Shepard's age, maybe a little older, and he had that look. He didn't have the look of a murderer. He looked civil, almost like a soldier. His eyes are what convinced me.

You can always tell someone by their eyes. That was one of the first lessons I taught Shepard. Spade's eyes told a story. He had seen and experienced a lot. Whatever that could be, I couldn't tell. However, it was still surprising. The fact that he was open about his profession. He sounded like it was a curse, a burden. They way he looked when the Batarian had the gun to his head. It was like he was ready to accept death. And so young. He had a life ahead of him. Why would he threw it away? That future. What is his motivation? I pulled out the playing card he gave me. King of Spades. His call sign was the Ace of Spades, from what I've heard. I looked at the card, and then put it back into my pocket. He owes me, huh? Well, I guess we are going to see how he repays me.

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**There you have it guys. A little over view of Adrian's situation just before the game. I will be working on a prologue story for him but that will cover those seven years, but it wont be until later, after I got some ground on this fic first. I will announce when I will post it, hopefully sometime in the near future if my schedule allows. Thanksgiving is coming up so I can get some serious work done during that time.**

**Anyway, thanks again for reading. Leave a review as you wish, for they are always helpful. _Au Revoir!_**

**Translations (as promised):**

**_Bonjour_: Hello**

**_Un: _One **

**_Duex_: Two**

**_Trios: _Three **

_**Oui: **_**Yes**

_**Monsieur: **_**Sir **

_**Au Revoir: **_**Goodbye**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again everyone! Hope everyone is having an awesone thanksgiving break, and if you don't celebrate thanksgiving, then I hope you having an awesome week. Here is chpater 3 yall, which was fun for me. Anyway,I just like to say thank you to everyones support on this Fic, it has be very helpful **

**Edit: Fixed transaltions**

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Chapter 3: Queen of Hearts.

Adrian's POV

After my meeting with Anderson, the rest of my week has been busy as hell. Contract after contract. Most of it was getting information, which was boring for me. Nalik said I need to expand, but what the hell does he know? I'm the one doing the work, shouldn't I decide? At the moment, I'm actually waiting in Chora's Den. A contact was going to meet with me here to talk business. From what Nalik said, it's a hit job. My favorite. Other than that, not much else. I sat in the far corner of the club. I had all my weapons, cloaked of course, and my helmet off and hidden as well. Cool thing about the helmet is that it folds up, making it easy to conceal. I looked around, trying to figure who my contact may be. Some Asari and Salarians would walk in but they looked far too casual to be a contact.

Next thing I knew, I see a _belle _woman walking. She was tall, had brunette hair, ivory skin, and was very developed. She looked around the club until her eyes landed on me. That's when it hit me. That's Miranda Lawson, which means Cerberus is paying for this next job. Great, I'll probably be killing some Turian war veteran for saying that humans smell and have large feet. If it wasn't for Miranda being so hot, and the credits, I would of left. She walked towards me, hips swaying. Understatement for her being perfect.

"Spade?" she asked. I grimaced, and quickly looked around to see if anyone heard her. Luckily no one did. I motioned her to sit. I would flirt, if this wasn't business. I need to be profesional.

"_Mademoiselle. _If I would be so kind as to ask. Please, for the love of God, don't say that too loud. I would rather be able to work peacefully than have a club shooting at us both." I glared at her. For a second I saw surprise in her, but it quickly changed to her own glare.

"And if you would be so kind not to use that tone of voice, _Monsieur." _I never kept my eyes from her own. I will not show weakness. Still, I can't help but at least try to charm her.

"Forgive me. Things have just been... rather tense lately. You may have noticed that I'm not really liked in this station. And, almost half of the male population in this room are staring at you, _ beauté." _I saw her swallow, and she looked around. She noticed the wondering eyes. "Anyway. To what do I owe the pleasure _Mademoiselle _Lawson."

Her head snapped towards me. Surprised _Mlle._ Lawson? You should be more careful with who you are working with. To make even more uncomfortable, I pulled out a deck of cards and started shuffling. If she did her homework, she would know about my cards. She shifted in her seat. Guess I have the upper hand.

"Before I start, I would like to know a name, since you know mine."

"Fair enough. I'm _Monsieur _Dawn. Adrian Dawn." I extended a hand. She took it and I leaned forward and kissed it. I could see a tint of pink. Careful Lawson. She cleared her throat.

"Well Mr. Dawn. My employer has a job that is suited with your particular talents." So it is a hit job.

"The target?" I asked. She brought out a datapad and handed it to me.

"A Mr. Dawson. He was a scientist working for my employer, however, he has defected. My boss would like to see him eliminated." I read over the datapad. Late fifties, former Alliance doctor, a practiced geneticist. "Also, to help, we have found where he will be later this afternoon. He will be in the Presidium meeting with a member of the Asari government. We believe he plans to reveal who I work for. That cannot happen." I placed the pad down and took a sip of my whisky.

"What is the pay?" She hesitated.

"Five hundred-thousand." I choked, and spit out my drink. Five hundred thousand! For one man?! I hate to see how much The Illusive Man would pay to get me killed. On second thought, I'm actually rather curious now. "You will get paid once you have confirmed with me that the job is done." She turned on her omnitool. "This is the address of where I'm staying. It's in the Presidium Commons. Is there any questions?" I can't help myself.

"How about a _baiser_ for good luck?" She sent a glare. If looks could kill. "Ahh, can't help for trying. Very well then, I will complete the job as soon as I can, and meet up with you later." We both stood up and we walked out of the club. Once out of sight from onlookers, I deactivated the cloak on my weapons, revealing my pistol, SMG's, and Sicarius. Miranda was surprised by my arsenal, especially the rifle. I then took out my helmet. I unfolded it, allowing it to take its shape. I put the helmet on, and waiting till the HUD was up. I looked at Miranda, and could tell she was surprised. I cupped her chin. "Not polite to stare _Mademoiselle." _She blushed, and before she could say or do anything, I took off and activated my cloak.

* * *

After about a few hours, I was in position. The way to the Presidium took awhile from the Wards. I freeran to get here. No way in hell am I taking the elevator. My position was well hidden. I was between two buildings that had a walkway connecting the two. I was on the roof of the walkway, hidden by the shadows the buildings cast. At least I don't have to worry about glares giving away my position.

I took out my Sicarius, and readied it for the kill. I loaded a fresh thermal clip, and cocked the weapon. I looked through the scope and readied a distance. In front of me was the lake and the other side of the Presidium. From what I could see through the scope were some embassies. Well the target was going to meet with an Asari ambassador. Using my scope I scanned for anyone that could be my target. I had a picture, which was easy for me since I didn't have to use my scanner. The man was older, late fifties probably. He had silver balding hair, with a silver goatee. I checked the time on my HUD and checked with the estimate time the datapad had. He should be showing up soon.

After seven years of working in this universe, it's still amazing that I'm actually here. It didn't really hit me until I met Anderson. Nalik would sometimes remind me of my main mission. Helping Shepard kick some Reaper ass. Still, I don't know what kind of difference I would make. I needed to survive this time period, the two years between ME 1 and 2, survive the Collectors, and then survive ME 3. The odds were surely stacked against me. Not only that, but I'm hated by half of the galaxy. Shepard may not even trust me, nor the crew would. I may have placed myself on Anderson's good side, but nothing for sure. Hell if Shepard is a Paragon I may end up in prison for the things I've done. Or if she is a Renegade, she would just kill me. Still, it would be interesting to see how my own dialogue would be. I'm not going to lie, I may seem like a calm, cool, collected guy, but I have my fair share of demons I picked up over the years.

My HUD blipped, a little notice saying that the target was near. I checked the time. Off by a few minutes, eh? Not bad Miranda. I readied Sicarius, setting my scope for wind speed, resistance, and distance. Once set, I aimed for the embassies, watching for my target to appear. I noticed a small group of Asari walking outside the embassy. By the look of Disciple shotguns and Acolyte pistols, this was probably an ambassador the target was meeting with. I've learned that Asari love to show off what they have. Especially their commandos and weapons. The group stopped at the front of a bridge that went over the lack. Sure enough a man wearing a white suit came into view. Older gentlemen, silver balding hair with matching goatee. He looked around, allowing me to get a glimpse of his face. With the HUD, I was able to get a still shot of his face, allowing me to do a face scan. Lucky for me, it was a match. Target sighted. I readied for the shot, my trigger finger hovering over the trigger. The man's side was facing me. I need him to turn so I can get a clear shot. He was patted down by a Commando, and by the nod, he was clean. Not like it mattered. You can't protect yourself from what you can't see. He greeted the ambassador with a handshake. They conversed for a while. That's cool, I can wait. Patience is key, at least that was what I learned during training.

After about three minutes of talking the group turned and slowly walked along the bridge. Perfect. The man's chest was facing me, making him the perfect target. I was about to the pull the trigger and send off a shot, but one of those damn blue bitches thought it would be cool to walk in front of him. Seriously bitch! Just walk in front of my line! If this was golf you would be penalized! I started to steady my breathing. I need to be calmed if I need a clean shot. I'm a neat freak when it comes to work. Out of shear dumb luck, or someone upstairs really wanted this guy dead, some Turian tried to get the ambassadors attention. Maybe she was famous or something, but it gave me a window. The commando in front of the target went to stop the Turian. The target looked worried, as if he knows he's fucked. I smirked. That you are my friend. I steadied my breathing, started my countdown from five. My world slowed. My fingered squeezed the trigger. I could feel the mechanics of the Sicarius working. The bullet was sent. Seconds felt like minutes.

The bullet hit squared on the man chest. Blood escaped from the pressure of the hit. The target was dead before he touched the ground. The Asari didn't realize what at happened until the man crashed on the floor. Two of the four Commandos grabbed the ambassador and covered her. The other two checked the body and looked around for any sign of me. Too bad for them, I was cloaked and long gone. Now, I had to meet with my beautiful contact.

_Miranda POV_

"Sir. Reports are coming in about the assassination of Mr. Dawson. Spade's mission is successful. Awaiting for him to meet with me for payment transaction." Four hours ago, the news was flooding with reports of the latest "Spade Attack". He must of been busy for him to have such a reputation for the news to name him. I didn't know why exactly he would use a playing card as a call sign, but it gave him the name. The news said that C-Sec was positive that it was Spade, although it was just speculation. He must of used that rifle I didn't recognized.

"Good work Lawson. After you have finished the transaction, I want you to head back to Cronos Station for your next assignment," The Illusive Man said.

"Understood sir." There was a pause.

"You sound troubled Ms. Lawson. What is on your mind?" Damnit. I really didn't want to go any further than this. However, he asked, and I trusted him.

"It's about Spade. Why not recruit him? He has the potential to be a top Lieutenant." It was what I believed. His skills were top notch, at least by what the reports stated. Equivalent to special forces. He could be a huge asset for Cerberus. I waited for a response. We were speaking via comlink.

"As good as an idea that is, it is risky. He is dangerous, and his MO doesn't really match our goals. He is skilled, but a majority of agents would rather have him dead. Besides, his only main concern is how many credits he will earn. We need people who have the passion for humanity, not to exploit it."

I bit my lip. He was right. Spade, as skilled as he was, was nothing more than a high paid mercenary. That and if he received the right price, he could turn on us in a second. I cannot allow that.

"Anything else?"

"No sir."

"Very well. Good work Lawson. I'll see you once you are finished." I heard the call end, and I shut off my terminal. I got up and stretched. I've been cooped up in this apartment waiting for Spade, or Adrian, to show up. He wasn't like most assassins. Some I met were cold and ominous. He was different. More lively. What surprised me was how he spoke. The accent threw me off, his French, and his attitude. How he knew my name, was beyond me. Unsettling. I worried if I was a potential target of his, or, Orianna... No! She couldn't be on someone's list. Only my fathers, and he wants her alive, not dead. Whatever the case, Adrian knows how to make one's skin crawl. I studied his MO. The deck of cards he had was a sure sign he wanted me uneasy. Yet, he told me his name. I honestly thought he wouldn't, but he did. Adrian Dawn.

"Why tell me his name?" I asked out loud.

"Well you did ask _Madame." _I spun around to see Adrian leaning on the wall, the balcony door opened. I thought I locked it? I cleared my throat and tried to regain my professionalism. He chuckled.

"No need to be tense. It's not like there is any danger," he said in a cool tone. He had his helmet on, which unsettled me. Why a skull face?

"Sorry, but if an assassin sneaks up on you, you tend to worry," I said. He shrugged. I rolled my eyes. He isn't really professional is he. I turned on my omni and with a few swipes I sent the credits to the account his contact gave me.

"the credits have been sent your account Mr. Dawn." He nodded.

"_s__'il vouse plaît, _call me Adrian. The job is done, no need for formalities." He took off his helmet, revealing his face and a smile. I shyly smiled back.

"Miranda," I said. His smiled widened. For a moment it was silent. Somehow, I remembered his MO, and how he would leave an Ace of Spades after every job. I couldn't help and chuckle. It sounded ridiculous.

"What is so funny?"

"Oh. Nothing, I was just wondering. Actually, since I'm thinking about it. Why do you leave a playing card after a job?" He chuckled.

"No clue really. During my training, a friend said that all the greats left a tell after a job. And since I always carried a deck of cards with me, I just randomly drew a card. The card was the Ace of Spades, so, ever since then I would leave and Ace on my kills," he paused and shrugged. "Ace isn't even my favorite card."

"Really? Then what is?" He smiled. He reached in his pocket, pulling out a deck. He went through the cards until he found one. He put the rest of the cards in his pocket and gave me the other. Queen of Hearts. "Why the Queen?"

"Simple. She is my _ma dame de le chance__. _My lady luck. She is the most beautiful card in all the deck. Besides, without a Queen, how can the King lead?" I smiled. She is a good luck charm. I wonder if she was the only Lady Luck he had?

"Is there another Lady Luck back at home?" I asked jokingly. His smiled faded. Shit... "Oh... I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"It's alright Miranda. No harm in asking. No, I don't not have another waiting for me. With the job I have, I can't risk getting close to someone. I wouldn't live with myself if they got hurt."

Wow. I never thought I would see emotion coming from an assassin. In a way, it was sad. They way he acted. He could pass as a Marine. He deserved someone, but he knew the risks. I looked back at the playing card. Maybe for now, all he needed was his Queen. I handed him back the card, and gave him a sincere smile. His cocky grin came back.

"_Merci." _He checked the time on the holo-clock on my night stand. "Well. I should be off. _Merci_ again, and it was lovely chatting with you Miranda." I smiled.

"Likewise." He mocked salute, and put his helmet back on. I shivered when I saw the skull design. "Seriously, why a skull?" He chuckled, the five vertical slits on his helmet lighting up.

"Intimidation. The skull is the universal symbol for death, and death is the one thing all living things fear." I raised an eyebrow. Interesting and smart. He gave me a nod and walked out the apartment and into the balcony. He then turned towards me.

"Oh. And be sure to send The Illusive Man my regards."

"What?!" He quickly turned and jumped of the railing. I ran, and leaned forward to get a glimpse of him, but he was gone. I shook my head, and pinched the bridge of my noise. This man was full of surprises.

* * *

**Well there you have it. I hoped ya'll enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. I'm not a huge fan of Miranda, but I did romance her on a playthrough and was a little saddened that she couldn't join the crew. Anyway, next chapter will be when the everything gets to full swing. **

**Translations:**

_****__belle_: Beautiful 

_****__Mademoiselle_: Madame, Miss

_****__Monsieur_: Sir

_**beauté: Beauty**_

_****__Mlle_: Ms.

_****__baiser_: Kiss

_****__s'il vouse plaît_: Please

_**ma dame de le chance: Lady Luck**_

_**Merci: Thank you**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Bonjour mes amis! I hope everyone in the states had an awesome Thanksgiving break, and for those who do not celebrate the holiday, I hope you had just as great of a week and weekend. Well, I present you the next chapter for Spade. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 4: Let's get started.

_Adrian POV: Flashback, 24 hours ago_

When I got home from Miranda's, I jumped in the shower and turned on the Galaxy News Network. Emily Wong was giving the daily report. I hit a switch which turned on a surround sound, enabling me to hear the news from any room. So far nothing interesting happened. Then the breaking report.

"The murderer known as Spade has struck again. Mr. Dawson, a former Alliance scientist, was murdered today while meeting with the Asari ambassador." I got out of the shower, wrapped my waist with a towel, and started to brush my teeth. "We are here with C-Sec Executor Pallin. Executor, can you say what Spade's motive could be?" The Executor made a notion as if he was clearing his throat. He has no idea.

"We can't give out a motive, however we know that this was indeed Spade." Can't give out a motive... Nice one Pallin. I ignored the rest of the interview, rinsing my mouth than putting on some comfortable clothes. Some athletic pants, and a blue muscle shirt. I headed for my kitchen and looked through the frig. I really needed to grocery shopping. As I was searching for a meal, I heard the news break to an urgent report. Interested, I walked to the living room to watch the vid. My breath caught in my throat. In my screen, was a colony burning, but not just any colony. It was Eden Prime. The vid was similar to the one from the game. The soldier fighting an unknown enemy, explosions and screams, and then that massive ship. The Reaper, Sovereign. I turned off the vid.

I tried to regain my composure. I was preparing for this in the past seven years, and know I'm starting to get second thoughts. This isn't a game. This is the real thing. I will be fighting in a long war, that we may not win. Not only that, but these next few months and years, I could even lose my life. Nalik wasn't lying when he said that a lot would be stacked against me. I have seven years of hard earned experiences. Some worthwhile, and others I wished I would never see again.

I need to get ready. If my estimates are right, Shepard will be here tomorrow. I needed to check my equipment, clean my weapons, and make sure my tech was up to date. After that, I need to find a way to get into Shepard's crew. One thing at a time Spade.

_Flashback: Four hours ago_

I was blending in with the crowd of politicians and high classed civilians, wearing a black suit similar to what Udina was wearing. Only, I actually looked good. I was in the Council meeting hall, where they listen to demands and trails. I saw Udina trying to convince the Council of Saren's betrayal. A huge hologram of Saren was shown next to the Council. It was playing out like the game perfectly. I watched the crowd, getting their reactions. All the humans I've seen were livid, while all the aliens were skeptical on the claims. If they only knew. Then I heard the crowd whispering. I turned to see both Anderson, and Shepard. I couldn't get a good look at her, but I could tell she had average height, and she had black hair. My heart started beating faster than normal. It was getting closer to when I will have to meet her.

I listened to what she and Anderson said, and on cue, Saren dismissed the claim. Eventually the Council dismissed everything, saying that there wasn't enough evidence. The Council left, and Udina, Anderson, and Shepard conversed for a bit. The hunt for Tali was on. I left the area, heading back to my apartment to get ready. As I was walking, a familiar Salarian walked towards me. I smiled. Nalik has become the only friend I have.

"Didn't think I would see you here," I said. He smiled.

"Yes, well, the Organization wanted me to personally give you some orders before you start your main mission." I shrugged. Fair enough. "Your original mission was to only aid Shepard, but that has changed. Your mission is to protect her at any means necessary."

"Protect her? Even though we will be going against unbeatable odds." Nalik just nodded. I sighed. "Alright then. Anything else I need to know?" Nalik stopped. Great...

"I found a way for you to meet Shepard, but you aren't going to like it." I looked at him with a look saying that he better get on with it. "Saren has issued a challenge of sort. He is inviting the best assassins and murderers to meet. The challenge will be issued then." I clenched my fists and scoffed.

"I bet it's to kill Shepard." Nalik just shrugged.

"If that is the possibility, then you have to be there and stop them."

_Present time_

I was leaning against a wall, close to a door. I was in another apartment, occupied by other aliens and humans. All assassins. I had my helmet on, and by the looks and glares, they knew who I was. With my face scanner I was able to identify each one in the room, and found that they all had bounties on their heads. I could protect, and earn some extra credits doing it. Sounds like a win to me.

I looked at the other assassins and I actually recognized some. I saw a human wearing red and with a green visor similar to Garrus. It took me a bit, but I realized that it was the guy that threatens Dr. Michel. Well that is one guy I don't have to worry about. The other was a Turian and two Salarians. It didn't take me long to figure them to be the three that try to capture Tali. That may possibly be three more I can leave alone, but time will tell. The others I had no idea. One was a Batarian. The scan said that he was wanted in all systems for a string of murders. He wore silver combat armor. Then there was a large Krogan, with blue reptilian eyes and blue plates. This guy may prove to be a problem. Last, but not least, was a light green Drell. He was wearing something similar to what Thane would wear, only his was red instead of black. The bounties varied on them, but all were good enough for me.

Out of nowhere a blue drone appeared from the table in the center of the room. Everyone turned to face it, some gathering, and some, like myself, staying put. The drone scanned the room.

"Scan complete. Playing recording." The VI system said. The recording was Saren's voice.

"Greetings hunters and assassins. I invited you hear today to issue a challenge. There are two jobs. Whoever completes them first will get paid respectively. The first job is to capture a Quarian girl named Tali. The second, is to kill Commander Shepard and her colleagues." I knew it. I heard some whisper to each other. "Once you have completed the job, return here for payment. That is all, and good luck." I scoffed.

Everyone started moving towards the door. I could just kill them all, but that would be suicide. I need to kill them one by one. The guy Garrus will run into I didn't really have to worry about. He may have some buddies with him, but Shepard and Garrus will make short work of him. As for the others, I needed to be careful and focused. Not only will I need to kill them, but I also needed to get Shepard's trust. Wait! That's it!

When I was out of the view of the other assassins, I freeran to get to the general area where Shepard would have to work. When I was positive that no one was around, I pulled up my omnitool. I pulled up my history of recent scans. Cool thing about my HUD is I can scan for pretty much about anything, even Omni numbers. I pulled up Anderson and tried to contact him. After a few seconds of waiting, I got what I was hoping for.

"Hello? Who is this?" That was Anderson alright.

"_Bonjour Monsieur _Anderson." There was a pause.

"Spade... How did you get this?"

"Sorry, I can't answer that. However, I do have some information for you."

"What kind of information?" I bit my lip. He isn't going to like this.

"It's Saren. He hired a bunch of assassins to take out your golden girl." There was a silence. Shit, this may not end well...

"Are you one of them?" Fuck!

"Uhh... Yeah, but look it isn't like that!"

"Then how is it!?"

"Remember that favor I owe you for saving my life. Consider this the payback. I know who the assassins are, but Shepard doesn't. While she is doing her work, I will search out the assassins and take them out." Another pause. Damn, come on. This has to work, what other choice does he have?

"Do it."

"_Fantastique!_ I promise you will not-"

"But after you are finished I want you to meet with me. Go to Ambassador Udina's office." Really? Damn, this may just be my ticket in Shepard's crew.

"Very well _Capitaine._ It will be done." I cancelled the call. Let's get started.

I quickly followed the catwalks till I ended up above Chora's Den. Not until recentlly did I discover keeper catwalks leading here. It had an excellent view above the main club. The only place I couldn't see was Fists office. I observed the area, looking for any sign of the assassins or Shepard. I took out my Queen of Hearts, and mocked kissed it for luck. I'm going to need it if I'm going against some trained professionals. I placed the card back into my pocket and went back to observing.

Sure enough the black haired commander walked in the club. Which means she would be talking to Harkin. So they would be looking for Garrus first. Perfect, so I will head to Dr. Michel's. I turned to take off, only to feel something strange. I pulled up my omnitool and activated my tech armor. I reached for my phalanx pistol only to see a blue orb heading straight for me.

"Shit!" I barely dodged the orb. I turned to see the Drell from the meeting. Shit, he is a Biotic. I readied a duel Omni gauntlets, which allows me to fire two tech powers. The Drell, with some fancy acrobatics launched a flurry of biotic powers towards me. I dodged as best as I could, and sent a barrage of Incinerate and Cryo tech. He managed to dodge each of my blasts. Damn, I need to get closer. When it seemed that he was slowing down, I sprinted towards him, firing a snap freeze towards him. He dodged the attack, but I managed to tackle him down. Now it was a hand to hand battle. He glowed blue of biotic energy, and I glowed golden with tech. He and I sent a flurry of kicks and punches. For once I'm glad I was trained by a Drell. We were evenly matched. I would parry, hit, and dodge his attacks as he would do the same. Somehow, he got the jump on me. With a biotic blast, he launched towards me forcing me on the floor. He grasped my neck, and with his biotic powers he started to squeeze the life out of me.

"Never thought I would see the great Spade close to defeat," he started. He sounded more sinister than Thane. "Don't take it personal, I just couldn't allow you to beat me to the greatest bounty in history."

My vision started to fade. There was only one thing I had. With any strength I had left, I brought my hand up and the corner of my take armor and clenched my fist. With a burst of Tech energy, a pulse exploded, launching the Drell off me. I gasped and wheezed for air. I shook my head, trying to get my vision back. I staggered getting up. When I looked towards where the Drell landed, he too was slowly standing up as well. This was my chance. I quickly drew out my Phalanx, and at that moment he blindly charged towards me.

"Oh no you don't!" I fired. The bullet met its mark, but he didn't slow. I fired again, and again, and again. I unloaded my entire clip for him to fall. I cursed and quickly changed heat clips. Cautiously, I walked towards the Drell. He was sprawled on the floor on a pool of his own blood. He was breathing slowly. He was done. I knelt beside him, and his eyes looked at me, but wouldn't focus. He smiled as he drew his last breath. I closed his eyes.

"Go to the sea _compagnon guerrier..." _The Drell man gave one hell of a fight. Out of respect I didn't place a card on him, and place he hands on his chest. I then took off. One down. Now I prayed to Lady Luck that I didn't miss Shepard. If I lose sight of her, than I lose my chance to protect her. I ran along the catwalks until I was above the area Shepard has to go through in order to get to Dr. Michel's office. I took out my Sicarius and looked through the scope down the set of stairs. All I could see was a group of three humans, and a Krogan in red armour. My guess was that the Krogan was my favorite character of all time, Wrex. Sweet, I didn't lose them, and they will take out that human assassin with the green visor. I waited on the catwalk, watching the area in front of the clinic. So far none of the other assassins showed themselves. As a precaution, I loaded Sicarius. I can't afford to miss anything at the moment. At least I didn't have to worry about anyone getting behind me. The Drell was the only one I expected to use the catwalks.

After a few minutes, I see the group leave the clinic. Now the group consisted of Wrex, Kaiden, Ashley, Garrus, and Shepard. And for the first time, I can actually get a good look of Shepard. Wow... Nothing like from what I expected. She had the classic hair style, except black. Shoulder length and always down. However, unlike the default Shepard from ME, this one's features were sharper. I enhanced my scope to see her face. Her face was clear, no scars from what I can tell. She was... Well she was beautiful. I know it sounds cliché for the heroes to stand out, but after looking at her, I'm convinced they are.

My HUD blipped. That only means one thing. A target was nearby. I zoomed out so I can see the area. Where is he? I scanned for anything suspicious, then I saw it. A figure walking behind the group. I zoomed in to get a closer look to see that it was the Batarian. I readied my shot, but he was moving faster and faster. Shit, he was about to strike. His hand glowed with an omni gauntlet. Crap, if that hits anyone of them, their screwed. I quickly started leading him, waiting for the right time to shoot. He charged, yelling in a war cry, and I fired. The shot flew, flying past the group in a whistle, hitting square on the Batarian. I stood up and watched as the group checked on the assassin. I then saw Shepard turn and she looked up towards me. My heart skipped a beat, but I didn't flinch. I just started walking and activated my cloak. That's two.

I made my way through the catwalks back to my little on look of the club. When I got there, I noticed that all the civilians were gone, and the mercenaries were setting up. I took out my Sicarius, but I then stopped myself. I can't give out my position, and plus there is way too many for me to take out. The shots may be powerful, but It will take me too long. Plus, I would be spotted after the first shot. I can't risk it. Shepard is going to have to fight them on her own.

As if on cue, a few explosions blasted by the entrance and the group rushed in. Kaiden and Wrex were paired up sending biotic powers and shotgun shells. Garrus and Ashley were by the entrance picking off thugs from a distance. As for Shepard, she flared her biotic powers and sent a flurry of what seemed to be Warp fields and Throw field, causing biotic explosions. The group was more than able to handle the thugs, and once they finished up they headed down a hall which probably lead to Fist. Well, at least Wrex get's his bounty. Speaking of bounties, I send off my reports on killing the Drell and Batarian. Luckily my HUD tracks when I kill a potential money grabber. A few seconds later, and I get two notifications stating that I received a handsome amount of credits.

I heard a crash below me, which snapped me out of my thoughts. A group of thugs came rushing in to stall Shepard from getting to Tali more like. I was about to take off for the little Quarian until I saw a massive Krogan with blue plates. The third target. I readied another shot and aimed for the Krogan. Krogan armor was tough, but the head plates were weak enough that a shot from my rifle could penetrate and kill the Krogan. I was about to shoot, but the Krogan walked behind the stage. Damnit... I'm going to have to wait, but for how long? Tali won't be able to fend off the last three assassins Saren hired.

Shots ran inside the club. Shepard and her group slowly advanced out of the hallway. I readied my shot. If this Krogan was like any other, he would try to charge. Shepard walked out of the hallway, a barrier up and firing what looked like an N7 Crusader shotgun. She blasted her way through to unfortunate thugs that were in her way. Damn, A biotic and a fierce fighter? This Shepard was getting more attractive by the second. I shook my head. Focus Adrian! I aimed back for an opening, waiting for my target to show himself. I saw a Carnage slug fly from behind the bar, and soon after the Krogan came out charging. I lead the Krogan, my mark, his blue plates. I fired the shot and within seconds the Krogan fell, orange blood flooding the floor. Three down. Know to get to Tali.

I took off in a dead sprint, holstering Sicarius on my back. I followed the catwalks until I was above The area where Tali is found. I was a little late. Tali was there but so was the Turian and Salarians. I hoped down to the floor and hid behind some crates. Tali looked pissed, but there was no way she can take on all three by herself. Where was Shepard? She still can't be fighting, can she? I remember the game gave the player three minutes. I checked my omnitool. It had been two. Fuck it. I'm going to have to do this. I took out my N7 hurricane and loaded it with fresh clip. I peeked from behind the crates, and noticed Shepard was coming, but she was a little too late. Time for me to make a big entrance.

The next few moments seemed to slow time. I activated my cloak and started to walk towards the three assassins. As I got closer I could see one of the Salarians check his omnitool.

"Boss, something is behind us on the radar." Damned Salarians and their tech. The three turned towards me, looking confused since they couldn't have seen me walking towards them. That was when I made my move. The cloak slowly dissipated, revealing me to the group of people in the alleyway. I spun my SMG and aimed towards the three targets. I stopped and looked at Tali, who noticed I was looking at her now.

"Move!" She sprinted out of the way, and I opened fire, spraying bullets at the three. My SMG was heavily modified to pack a bigger punch and a larger clip. The three targets didn't have time to react, and they all fell after I emptied the clip. I ejected the spent heat clip, twirled my SMG and holstered them.

"And that's that." I looked at the bodies riddled with bullet holes. They didn't stand a chance. I looked at Tali to see that she was hidden behind some crates. I did a scan on my HUD and to my relief she was unharmed.

"Spade!" I turned to see Shepard's group coming towards me.

"Uh oh... Time to go!" I took off in a sprint, activating my cloak so they wouldn't be able to follow me.

"Wait!" I heard what sounded like Shepard, but I was long gone. Don't worry Shep, I'll see you at Udina's office.

By the time I got to Udina's, word was spreading on what happened down at the Wards. Luckily for me I wasn't mentioned for all of the incidents , just two. I was cloaked still, and hid on a ledge just outside the office. I could see Anderson and Udina. Udina was pacing, probably from the reports of what happened in the wards. Anderson stood at attention, waiting for Shepard. I looked at the view I was giving, and to my satisfaction I saw the group walking towards the embassies. Time to make my final move. I hopped down, finally in Udina's office for sure. I cleared my throat and deactivated my cloak. Anderson and Udina turned towards me surprised. Anderson actually smiled, but Udina probably just shit his pants and went for the terminal. Anderson stopped him, reassuring him that I was an ally.

Then the doors opened, and the group walked in. At first they didn't notice me, but when they did they all spring into action. Shotguns, pistols, rifles, and biotic orbs were pointed at me. Oh shiiiit. Come on Anderson back me up here.

"Stand down! All of you!" Anderson ordered. Some gave looks at Anderson and each other. I let out sigh of relief. Shepard didn't flinch and her pistol was still aimed for me. Although my heart was pounding, I held my ground.

"Sir, that man is dangerous," said Shepard. Ahh, the voice of Jennifer Hale. Strong yet elegant.

"And he is on our side!" Anderson announced. Well, cat is out of the bag now. Shepard, Ashley, and Kaiden looked shock. Wrex, Garrus, and Tali just looked confused. Shepard lowered her pistol and motioned for everyone to do the same. Anderson gave them a look, and they eventually holstered their weapons. Anderson nodded, and he looked at me. He walked towards me and extended a hand. I was honestly shocked, but I took it and we shook hands.

"I should thank you Spade, but I think you should explain to the Commander why." I nodded, and I took off my helmet. It was good to breath in fresh air. I folded my helmet and hid it within my jacket. I looked at the Commander, and just noticed her vibrant green eyes. Damn. I took a breath.

"_Commandant _Shepard, Saren issued a challenge to some of the top assassins to take you out and capture the Quarian. I'm not going to hide it, but I was one of the assassins invited. Lucky for you, I hate Saren and I believed you when you accused him for Eden Prime. I contacted the _Capitaine _telling him of Saren's plan. Since I was the only one who knew the assassins, I took the liberty of taking them out. The Batarian from outside the clinic, the Krogan from the bar, and the three in the alleyway were all hired to kill you, but I put a stop to that."

Commander Shepard looked at Anderson. He nodded towards her and she then looked at me. She walked towards me till she was arms length. I could now see her face more clearly. Green eyes, raven black hair, a clear face with a small scar on her upper lip. She was beautiful. She extended a hand. I was surprised actually. She had a small smile. I smiled back and took the hand.

"Thanks. Not every day I get some backup without knowing it." I nodded.

"Don't mention." I look at the group behind her. Kaiden and Ashley were sending glares at me. Garrus looked at little conflicted but he nodded. Wrex had a grin on his face, and Tali just had her arms crossed and nodded.

"Well since all that has been explained, Shepard. You need to explain yourself. Fire fights in the Wards, just what were you doing?" Udina chimed in. I let go of Shepard's hand and she proceeded to explain. This is where I tuned everything out. I knew what would be said so I just walked towards a wall and leaned against it. Tali explained her story, played the recording. Protheans were explained, but then Reapers came into the subject. This time I listened. Tali explained about the Geth worshipping them as gods, but that was it. Guess it's my turn to enter the conversation.

"I heard of the Reapers," I said. Everyone turned to look at me. Here we go.

"According to legend, the Reapers were the cause for the Protheans to disappear from the galaxy. Spacers claim them to be monstrous ships with the power to destroy civilizations and even planets. Some think them to be giant machines with a grudge against organic life. A reason why the Geth seem them as a god of sorts. Of course all this is legend, but if Saren thinks he can use them for an army, than we are in for one hell of a ride..." It was true. When the Reapers come, everyone will be forced to fight. A lot of people, innocent and battle ready, are going to die.

"Well they are only speculation. There is no evidence of them even being real," Udina stated. He got some nods from Kaiden and Ashley. I scoffed.

"Perhaps, but remember ambassador. History is written by the victor." I stopped there. My words hung in the air like an ominous fog. Anderson nodded and Shepard cleared her throat.

"Well, we have enough evidence. And if Saren thinks he can raise an army of synthetics, then I'm going to stop him," announced Shepard. I smiled.

"If you're going Commander than I am too," said Kaiden.

"Saren will pay for what he did at Eden Prime. I'm going also," this time Ashley.

" If the Geth are involved, then I'm in too," Tali.

"I'm no longer apart of C-Sec, and I would hate to see more innocent lives be taken because of what Saren did. I'm in," I smiled, it was Garrus.

"There is going to be some great fights ahead. I don't want miss out on any of those. Count me in Commander," Wrex. Shepard and Anderson smiled.

"Thank you everyone. I know I'm going to need the help." Shepard then looked at me "What about you Spade?" I raised an eyebrow. Seriously? She is inviting me? The group and Udina looked at her with surprised faces. She looked at them and shrugged. "We could use all the help we can get, and with your tech skills and marksmanship, we may just have a slight advantage over Saren. What do you say Spade?" I took a moment and looked into her eyes. My job is to protect her, and protect her I will. I started to walk to her till I was at her side.

"I may be an assassin, but I'm also human. If Saren thinks he can get away with this, then he has another thing coming. I'm in." Shepard smiled and nodded. I smiled back and gave her a nod.

"Then its settled. We have a crew and a team. Tali, you and Kaiden will come with me to meet with the Council. Everyone else will head to the Normandy. If you need some things, just bring a footlocker worth of items," Shepard ordered. We all nodded and proceeded. I was mentally jumping out of pure happiness. I made it. I'm in, but the real battle will start soon. These next couple of months are going to be the toughest any of us will face. I looked at the group as we walked out of Udina's office. Some of them may not live to see the end of this journey, and those that survive will never be the same again. I know this journey will change me.

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**Well there you have it. Looks like things are about to get busy for Spade, and his mission may prove to be more than he can handle. Only one way to find out. Nect chapter will be posted soon within this week, because... Well it is the season of giving, no? **

**Also, just a note, I just finished another playthrough of Mass Effect 3 (mainly getting the insanity achievments) and as I was watching the ending, I had an idea for another story. So, I might be doing some free writing and also, finals are coming up so I will be very busy before the semester ends. Hopefully I'll post updates regularly, but no promises.**

**Translations:**

**_Fantastique_: Fantastic.**

**_Capitaine_: Captain**

**_compagnon: _Companion**

_**guerrier: **_**Warrior**

**_Commandant: _Commander**


	5. Chapter 5

**How's it going?! Kad Dawn here with another chpater for Mass Effect Spade. This chapter is really just going nothing more than some dialogue. I also like to thank everyone who is supporting the story, it has been very helpful.**

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Chapter 5: _C'est__ bon pour le coeur_.

Adrian POV

I stood inside the decontamination in the Normandy. I still couldn't believe that I was a part of the crew. I had one duffle bag with some clothes and personal items. My weapons were holstered and on me, while my helmet was folded and tucked in my jacket. After the decontamination was done, the doors opened and I was inside the ship. I walked in and looked around. Down the hall I could see the CIC and to my left I could see Kaiden talking to Joker. Sweet, one of my favorite characters in the whole game. They both turned to me. Kaiden just leered at me but Joker looked dumbfounded.

"Okay, I knew the Commander would be crazy, but I didn't think she would actually recruit an insane killer." Ladies and Gentlemen, Seth Green. I rolled my eyes after his pun.

"_Bonjour _to you too..." I said. Joker's did a double take.

"Wait, I know that accent... You can't be from New Orleans. Are you?" I grinned.

"Born and raised _mon ami." _He smiled a childish grin.

"Oh man, you must of some stories." I laughed.

"Well maybe when you are not flying the ship I'll tell you some." The whole time Kaiden just sat in the co-pilots chair. Someone is grumpy.

"Are you Spade?" I heard a female voice say behind me. I didn't recognize this voice. I turned to see a petit young woman with blonde hair tied in a ponytail. She had blue eyes and a sharp face. She was pretty cute. I gave her a sly smile.

"_Oui Mademoiselle. _And to who do I owe the pleasure?" She shyly smiled.

"Tiffany Smith. I'm a cadet and medical assistant here on the Normandy and Anderson ordered me to show you to your quarters and a tour of the ship." I nodded and motioned for her to start. She showed me the CIC, and the debriefing room. She told me the debriefing room will be the place the ground team will meet before and after missions. Once downstairs she showed me the lounge area, were the med bay was and the CO's room, which will be Commander Shepard's soon. We then walked towards the elevator only to walk towards a door I've never seen. Looking at it I realized that it should be a the other set of stairs that goes to the CIC. Awesome, a new place. We walked past the door to see a hallway with six doors, three on each side.

"This is where the ground team quarters will be. Yours is down the hall, last one on the right. If you would like to see it and drop of your items before we continue the tour, you may." I smiled and nodded. The room was average size for a military ship. A bed, locker, a desk with a terminal, and a bathroom. Not bad, I dropped my bag on my bed. I took off Sicarius and placed it on the bed. I then took out my helmet, unfolded it and placed it on the desk. After that I took of my jacket, revealing my under armor like sleeveless shirt. I saw Tiffany standing by the door way. I looked at her ready, and she pointed towards my Sicarius.

"There are lockers in the hanger bay for you to store your weapons. Protocol stats that ground team weapons must store their weapons there." I rolled my eyes and picked up the rifle. I'll have to etch the tallies later.

I followed her to the elevator and we then proceeded to the third floor. I was hoping the elevators would be faster, but to my disappointment, they weren't. I leaned against the elevator walls as we waited for the elevator to stop. Tiffany looked at me, then tilted her head. I mentally smiled, it was kind of cute when she did that.

"Were you a Marine? You have tags on." I raised an eyebrow confused, and looked down to see the tags. I almost forgot about them. I wear them all the time that I sometimes forget that I have them on. I looked at Allison and shook my head.

"No, I wasn't. My father was. These are his tags." I didn't realize I said that in a sad tone until after. Tiffany gave me a sad, understanding look.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know..." I shrugged.

"Don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong." She slightly nodded and looked away. Maybe she lost someone close to her too.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Tiffany showed me the hanger bay. I looked for Wrex, Ashley, and Garrus but they weren't there. Must be on the first deck. She showed me my personal locker. I opened it seeing some heat clips. I placed my rifle, SMG, pistol, and combat knife in the locker. I closed and turned towards Tiffany. She smiled and motioned me to follow. We then walked inside the engine room. I was amazed to see the drive core for the first time.

"Hello Tiffany, this engine room is amazing!" I looked over to see Tali talking to Allison. It was funny to see probably one of the cutest characters in the game jumping off the walls over the drive core. I chuckled, catching Tali's attention.

"Oh hello Spade..." I smiled.

"Hello Tali. And please, Adrian is my real name. Spade is just a nickname the reporters gave me. It would be nice for people to call me by the name I was born with." Tiffany, and from what I could see behind Tali's mask, smiled.

"Okay Adrian... Well, thank you for saving me. I don't think I would've lasted if you hadn't showed up." I nodded.

"This is Commander Shepard speaking. We have our orders. Find Saren before he finds the Conduit. I won't lie to you crew, it's not going to be easy. For too long our species has stood apart from the others. Now it's time for us to step up and do our part for the rest of the galaxy. Time to show them what humans are made of. Our enemy knows we're coming. When we go into the Traverse, Saren's followers will be waiting for us. But we'll be ready for them too. Humanity needs to do this. Not just for our own sake, but for the sake of every species in Citadel Space. Saren must be stopped, and I promise you all, we will stop him." Nice speech. Tiffany and some of the other crew members in the engine room saluted. By the looks of it, that was a Paragon speech. Maybe Shepard is more Paragon then.

Tiffany looked at me. "Well that is the tour, and I need to get back to my post. Anderson did say that he allowed you free rang of the ship, but seeing as Shepard is in charge that may change. Anyway, it was nice meeting you Adrian."

"Likewise Tiffany." I saw her blush a little and she headed out. I looked at Tali. "I should head out also, I need to do something. Nice seeing you Tali." Tali nodded and went to her terminal. Weird. Probably cause I'm not trusted yet.

I walked out of the engine room and noticed Wrex, Ash, and Garrus at their usual spot. Wrex noticed me and sent a casual nod towards me. I simply nodded back. I went to my locker and grabbed my Sicarius and knife. I then sat down on a crate next to the elevator. I unfolded the rifle, laid it on my lap so I can see the seven tallies on its side. Seven tallies, seven kills. Now to add three more. One for Mr. Dawson, another for the Batarian, and another for the Krogan. I took my knife to the gun and started scratching the tallies. Wrex and Garrus heard what I was doing and headed towards me.

"What good does damaging your weapon do?" asked Garrus. I gave a cocky smile and showed him the tallies. Wrex nodded.

"A point system. One for each kill." Wrex said. I nodded and went back to work. They both eyed my gun. "I've never seen any weapon like that before. What is it?" Wrex asked. I stopped and looked at them

"It's a specially made weapon. The only one of its kind. I call it Sicarius." Garrus looked amazed, like a child looking at a new toy. I chuckled and stood up. I handed him the rifle so he can observe it. He handled it like a new born baby. Wrex just observed on the side, but he was still pretty amazed at it.

"What is the drum mag for?" A good question Garrus.

"The drum is where the Sicarius gets its power. See these switches?" The two looked and nodded. "Each switch is a different ammo ability. Red is for Incinerate, Blue is EMP, Purple is for Biotic, and Grey reverts back to normal. Each ability is like an explosive, and since we are fighting Geth, I will be using EMP for a while." The two nodded

"What does the name stand for?" asked Wrex.

"Sicarius? It is from a dead language my species used to use called Latin. Sicarius is the Latin word for assassin." Wrex nodded. Garrus handed the rifle back to me. I said my thanks, sat back down, and finished tatting up Sicarius. Wrex headed back to his spot, but Garrus stayed. He looked at me awkwardly as I finished the last tally. After I finished and blew off any shavings, I looked at him then went back to my rifle

"Something on your mind Vakarian?"

"I wanted to apologize." I stopped at what I was doing. What? I looked at him with confusion.

"Apologize for what?"

"For judging you. The whole time you were killing people in the Citadel, I wanted to kill you. When you dropped the Batarian, I thought you claimed another life. Then, when you were at the ambassadors office, all I wanted to do was kill you. End your career. But then when you explained your reasoning for killing the Batarian and the three assassins that could of killed Tali, I felt guilty." Damn Vakarian. I stood up and put a hand on his shoulder. Garrus was one of my favorite characters from the game. If I could be a friend, then hell yeah I would.

"Look Garrus. You don't need to apologize. If anyone needs to apologize, it's me. For seven years I've been wanting a purpose to fight, but the only thing I knew what to do was killing. It was what I trained for. It was all I've ever known. But, now I have a chance. A chance to redeem myself." Garrus nodded and he clasped my opposite shoulder.

"Well, I hope you find it. That thing to fight for." I smiled, and we both let go of one another shoulders. He nodded and started heading for the Mako.

"Hey Vakarian." He turned. "Maybe whenever you have free time we can sit down and swap stories." Garrus gave a Turian smile and nodded. I nodded back and went back to my corner. I picked up Sicarius, did some last minute adjustments. I heard the elevator open, and saw Shepard walk out. She looked around for a moment then headed towards the drive core, probably to check on Tali. I went back to my rifle. I grabbed a bottle of cleaner, and started cleaning my baby. She always disserves a little pampering. As I was cleaning I saw Shepard walk out of the drive core and head towards Garrus. She must be doing her rounds. Honestly, I really didn't feel like talking in front of Wrex or Ashley. Guess Sicarius is going to have to wait on that full pampering.

Eden Shepard POV

As I was talking to Garrus, I noticed Spade get up from his spot, put his rifle in his locker, and went for the elevator. I frowned, so far everyone I talked to distrusted him being on the ship. He didn't look evil like most assassins. He looked, sincere. Anderson taught me to always look into someone's eyes. Their eyes always told who the person was. When I looked into his smoke colored eyes, I saw life, not death. But, there was more. I saw sadness in him. Like he doesn't have anything to live for anymore. He was an assassin, but it was like that was a burden on him. I wasn't sure.

I finished my conversations with Garrus, Wrex, and Ashley. I was now in the elevator, thinking on what to say to Spade. So far, Tali, Wrex, Joker, and Garrus didn't mind him, but the other two seem to hate him. Tali was thankful for him saving her life. Wrex really only liked his weapons. Joker liked him mainly because he was from New Orleans, and Joker always wanted to visit that place. And Garrus told me that from what he got out of Spade was that he was searching for something to fight for. What does he want to fight for?

The elevator stopped and I was in the mess hall. I looked around, checking for any sign of Spade, but he wasn't here. Kaiden was at his post, so maybe he saw him.

"Hey Alenko." He turned and smiled at me. Ever since Eden Prime he has become more... closer. I think it's because he blames himself for me getting hit by that beacon.

"Hey Commander, something I can do for you?"

"Yeah actually, have you seen Spade? I haven't had the chance to check on him." Kaiden's smile faded to a frown. Sorry, I just wanted to know.

"Yeah... He was here not too long ago. Grabbed something to eat and a bottle of water and went to his room." I nodded my thanks, and turned. "Wait Commander." I stopped and looked at the Lieutenant. "I have to ask, and be honest with me. Why have him here? He is an assassin, not a soldier. His only concern is credits. What makes you think he won't turn on us in the end?" I frowned, and he noticed.

"I have him because he saved me Kaiden. A complete stranger, saved me and Tali. He had the temptation to kill me, but he did the opposite. I never heard of assassins turning down a job, and yet he did. That and... He is different. I know he is." Kaiden didn't like my answer.

"So you have him onboard because of that. I'm sorry Shepard, but one action doesn't over shadow many. He killed a lot of people Shepard. If you think he can earn some kind of redemption by joining us than by all means you can think that. But, I think he is a lost cause."

"Maybe he is Kaiden. But, maybe, just maybe, he can be redeemed." I turned on my heel and walked away. It was wrong of Kaiden to judge Spade like that. My mother told me that everyone deserves a chance, so why can't Spade have one? He is human, just like me.

I walked into the hallway for the ground team. I heard music coming down from the end of the hall. Must be Spade's room. I walked towards his door and was about to hit the green button but I stopped. It was his private quarters, and it would be rude to just barge in. I knocked. I heard the music stop, and after a few seconds the door opened. This was the second time I was face to face with him. He had ashy hair that was spiked, smoky eyes, and tanned skin. He wasn't wearing his jacket so I got a good look of his arms. He was well toned. The shirt he was wearing was skin tight so I could see his pectoral muscles and abs. He was very well built, and very attractive. What?! No?! He is a crew member, not someone I can flirt with. I looked back at his face and his head was tilted and eyebrow raised. Shit, he noticed me staring. I felt myself blush, and he chuckled.

"Is there something you need _Commandant?" _He said. That accent was also not helping. His drawl was also attractive. Get it together Eden, you have faced plenty of guys like him.

"No, I just wanted to talk with you for a bit. If that is alright of course," I said. He smiled.

"That would be nice actually. Come in." He let me in and pulled the desk chair out for me. He was very polite for an assassin. He sat on his bed, and I noticed the tags around his neck. Interesting... "So. What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, I like to get to know more about you." He nodded.

"Fair enough. I'll start with the basics, and if you have any questions just ask." He paused and took a moment to collect his thoughts. I don't think he has done this in a while. "Well, I'm an Earthborn. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Father was a Marine, Mother a nurse. I left Earth, and ended up on Omega. There I met a Salarian named Nalik. He taught me everything about tech and introduced me to a Drell and Turian couple. Yeah, it sounded weird, but they were neat. They trained me for two years, and the remaining five I was doing the only thing I knew what to do. Assassinate, murder, and stealing." Interesting indeed. A lot of information, hope he doesn't mind me asking some questions.

"What is New Orleans like? I've been to Vancouver, but never that far down south." His smile widened, making me smile.

"_Très belle. _Beautiful city. The house I grew up in had a gorgeous view of the gulf. In the mornings you can feel the ocean breeze, the crisp salt-water smell with it. Hard to believe I've haven't seen it in seven years." His tone was said. He was homesick. I was too, but I didn't have a home to go to. He did.

"You said something about your father being a Marine?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yes. He was a lot like your _Capitaine. _A good leader, a clear example of all good in people. He taught me everything I know today. Well, everything ethical and moral wise. He was a good man. Sad to see him go. These are his tags actually." He took of the tags and gave them to me. I read the name. _Marcus Dawn_.

"Dawn is you last name?"

"_Oui._ Adrian Dawn is my real name." Adrian. That's a cute name. I then frowned. If he had his father's tags, then that must mean... "My father was killed in combat when I was young. It was a small skirmish on a human colony. Hardly anyone survived." A colony? Could it be? No, I shouldn't ask. I can't bring back those memories. I handed him back the tags.

"What about your mother?"

"She died shortly afterwards. A freak accident, I still don't know the details. She lost a lot of blood before she made it to the hospital. She did die with a smile on her face, my father's name being the last thing she said." He reached into his pocket, but then brought his hand back out. He lost his parents too... He was kind of like me. I lost everyone I loved at an early age also. I shook my head mentally. Enough of this sad talk.

"Tell me about your training." Adrian's smile returned.

"Well, were to start? I was trained in Omega, which is perfect to train an assassin. I was trained by a Drell and Turian couple, Reina and Kadik, and by a Salarian named Nalik. They both taught me hand to hand combat from both species. Reina training focused more on acrobats, hand to hand, endurance and other physical training. Kadik gave me weapons training, preferably with sniper rifles. And Nalik, well he trained me with tech. Honestly I can say it was the best two years of my life. I mastered everything they taught me, and I'm pretty damn good with tech."

I chuckled. "Wait a minute. You said a Drell and Turian couple?" He laughed lightly.

"Ha.. Yeah. Trust me, I thought it was weird too, but they loved each other. Nothing could keep those two apart."

"Where are they now?" He shrugged.

"I have the slightest idea. I keep in contact with them every so often. Last I heard they were in Illium, but that was about six months ago." I nodded.

"So what kind of tech abilities do you know." He hummed.

"Plenty, that's for sure. You've seen my Tactical Cloak, which is my main ability. I also know some basics like Overload, Incinerate, and Cryo. And some complicated ones, like Tech Armor, Snap Freeze, and Flamer. If you did have to put me in a specific class, I'm more of a Infiltrator than an Engineer or Sentinel." Damn. This guy wasn't lying when he said 'tech expert'. I'm grateful to have someone like that on our team. That pretty much answered most of my questions... Wait! His weapons.

"Garrus tells me you have quit the arsenal, and a unique rifle also." He chuckled.

"He said that, huh? Well, I have what I'm comfortable with. A Phalanx pistol with a silencer mod, a combat knife, a N7 Hurricane SMG, and my sniper rifle, Sicarius."

"Garrus mentioned something about the rifle. He tried explaining it, but I think it will be best hearing it from the expert." He chuckled.

"Well Sicarius is a specially made sniper rifle. The only one of its kind. You are familiar with 21's century weaponry, _oui?" _I nodded. "_Bon._ Well, Sicarius design is based on the Barrett 50. cal sniper rifle. Same size when unfolded, has similar strength and accuracy, and same clip size. However, it is different. One major difference is weight. It is a lot lighter than the older version, but the body is a lot stronger, so the gun will not shatter when fired. The scope is heavily modified to pick targets and set itself when locked on. And then there is the brain of the weapon."

"What is that?" I asked.

"If you look at the weapon, the first thing you'll notice is a drum mag attached to the rifle. That is the "brain", so to speak. That drum allows me to switch into three different explosive modes. One is for Incineration, EMP, and a new Warp function. The only drawback is the if I use any mode, it will take up the entire clip. The weapon is very complicated, but still simple by design." Impressive. Too bad it is the only one of its kind. I could use a weapon like that.

"Well, I can't what to see it in action," I said with a smile. He gave a classic cocky smile.

"Hopefully soon you will." I smiled and nodded. I got up from my seat and headed to the door.

"I need to go. Get some rest Adrian, we will have a big day coming up soon, and I need my ground team at its best." He smiled and nodded. I was about to walk away till he called out.

"Hey Shepard!" I turned. "Thanks for the chat. Been a while since I had a conversation. Feels good. _C'est_ _b__on pour le coeur." _I smiled and nodded. He gave a small smile back and gave me a mock salute. He closed his door and I headed for my room. Like Wrex, he was surely filled with stories. But, I can't shake the feeling that there was something more in him. Almost sad. When he talked about his family and past he would start out great. A smile on his face, but then it would vanish, and be replaced with a sad look. I know I shouldn't get to close to my crew, but I felt like I should help him. Garrus said he was looking for something. I want to help him find it. I don't know how, but I will do that for him. I remembered the last thing he said. _"C'est bon pour le coeur". _It was interesting hearing him speak French. With his drawl the accent was different then Canadian French, but it still had that flow. Curious, I went to my terminal and looked up a translation on what he said. After about five minutes of searching, I found a translation. "Good for the heart". I smiled. For some reason, I felt good about it. It was like I'm taking my first step into helping someone. And it felt good.

I got up, changed into my sleepwear, and climbed into bed. I stared up at the ceiling. I reminisced on the day. Meeting everyone for the first time, becoming a Spectre, and all the conversations. For a little bit, I felt happy. It probably wouldn't last, but like Adrian said, it was good for the heart.

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**Well there you have it ladies and gentlemen, just a quick little look into Adrian's background. Also, the chapter name _Bon pour le coeur_, has become sort of a motto for the story. Writing is therapeutic, and is a lot of fun. Anyway... Please read and review, and stay sexy yall ;) _Au Revoir, Mon Ami._**

**_Bonjour _: Hello**

_**Mon Ami: **_**My friend.**

**_Commandant_:Commander**

**_Très belle_: Very Beautiful**

**_C'est bon pour le coeur_: Good for the Heart**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone! Sorry for the long wait for this Update. I'm in the middle of finals week so I've been busy. Anyway, here is the next chapter for Spade. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 6: Therum and Liara

Adrian POV

The crew and myself were waiting in the briefing room. Everyone was seated, but I was standing. I didn't feel like sitting today. I looked around the room, mainly observing everyone in the room. Ashley and Pressly, the two xenophobes of the group, are conversing with each other. Kaiden and Tali are also talking, probably about tech. Wrex is sitting by himself with his eyes close. I can't help but chuckle at the fact that he may be sleeping. As for Garrus, he stands and walks up to me.

"Hey Adrian. Managed to get some sleep?" He asked. I half smiled. A little conversation before a mission never hurts. As for sleep, the usual. I've been getting nightmares recently. Mainly about previous jobs and experiences. And it took me awhile to even close my eyes. Last night was the first night I've ever told anyone a bit of my life. Well, some of it. Some had to be made up so I can "fit in" in the universe. Nalik pulled some strings, and my history has been completely rewritten for Mass Effect. My parent's information, mine, everything. I cursed myself for even mentioning Mindior. I'm kind of hoping Shepard won't ask about it. As for Garrus's question, a quick lie won't hurt.

"Eh, I slept alright. Kind of nervous though. Been awhile since I've done group work." Garrus nodded.

"You'll get use to it. I always find it best to have people watching my back, rather than shooting at me." I shrugged. "And it's alright being nervous before a mission. Just don't let it get to you."

I chuckled. "Yeah, I hear. Don't worry, once I start shooting then I'll be fine." He gave me a Turian like smile. The doors open revealing Shepard. Everyone quiets down as she walks to the middle of the room, a datapad in her hand. She read it for a bit and looks around at the crew. Some nodded, other saluted. I just gave a small smile. Last night was different for me. I never really talked to anyone about my past. And I never really had a good conversation till recently.

"This mission will be our first mission against Saren. One of his allies, Matriarch Benezia, has daughter named Liara T'Soni. She is a Prothean expert, which will hopefully come in handy in the near future. Our sources say that she is on the planet Therum..." a picture of the planet came on behind her. "... It is a mining world, with some volcanoes dotting the surface. Liara is said to be at one of the dig sites that too discovered Prothean technology. There have been reports of Geth on the planet, so expect some resistance. Any questions?"

"Will we be dropping on the exact location, or further out?" asked Kaiden.

"Unfortunately, because of the Geth, we are going to take the Mako and fight our way there." She looked at Garrus. "Vakarian, is the Mako prepped and ready?" Garrus stood up and nodded.

"Yes ma'am," he said. So civil.

"Good. Any more questions?" I had one.

"Yeah. Who is going on the ground team?" Everyone looked at Shepard.

"This mission is extremely important. Everyone will be going on this mission." I nodded. Interesting. Guess this won't be the usual three man teams then. Not that I don't mind, just as long as Wrex doesn't start kill stealing, and Garrus getting dropped every second. Still, they are my favorite characters on the game. Shepard asked for anymore question. Everyone looked around, but none asked. Shepard nodded.

"Alright then, head down to engineering, and get prepped for the mission. Everyone dismissed." We all got up and headed down to get ready. Everyone, except Pressly of course. We all went to our lockers, and readied our gear. Shepard said I need armor and the requisition had a spare armor I could use. It was light Hydra armor. Not stylish like my jacket, but better than nothing. Once I placed the armor on, I did a HUD check for my helmet. Always need to check if everything works. Weapons on and some extra clips, I was ready.

Shepard got out off the elevator in her own gear. Since she was a Spectre she was given Medium Spectre armor. Must be nice. I also got a good look at her weapons. All N7 weapons. Well duh. She had an N7 Crusader shotgun, an N7 Eagle pistol, and an N7 Hurricane. Cool.

"Alright everyone, in the Mako. We will be touching down on Therum soon. Kaiden, I want you on the gun. Ashley, you'll be spotter." They gave a yes ma'am and we all go in the Mako. I was surprised to see that we all fit in the vehicle. Shepard and Ashley sat in the front, Garrus and I in the middle, and Wrex and Tali in the back. And of course Kaiden on the gunner seat.

"Alright Joker. We are ready for drop." Awesome, my first Mako drop. I love rollercoaster's, so being in something that looks like it will have the same feeling as a drop zone is very exciting. Ashley did a countdown.

The next few seconds were fucking awesome! The Mako lurched forward, and soon enough we were plummeting to the ground. I felt my stomach rise to my chest. Then the Mako's jump rockets kicked off, giving us a sort of soft landing. The Mako jumped as it landed, and then it went to a stop. That wasn't so bad. Shepard looked back to see if we were all okay. She nodded and looked back.

"Commander, I'm picking up some readings, like off the damn chart's. It's a few clicks north of where you landed."

"Could be the dig site where the doctor may be," suggested Kaiden. Shepard nodded and we took off. Surprisingly Shepard wasn't really a bad driver. I was worried at first, but thankfully she took drivers education. Man, after all those fanfics I would read making fun of Shepard's driving, and here I am, and she is actually doing a better job. Who would of thought.

After about five minutes, something must of came on Ashley's screen. She started swiping and typing until she looked out the window.

"Geth Gunship! It's dropping Armatures! Marking them for you Kaiden!" Ashley yelled.

"This is where the fun begins..." I mumbled. Garrus seemed to chuckle at that. This is when I start questioning Shepard's driving. She was swerving and driving like a mad woman late to a dinner party at her in-laws. Kaiden was firing off the Mako's gun but so far the Armatures were holding. I couldn't tell if Kaiden was missing due to bad aim, or because of Shepard. Still, she wasn't letting us get hit by the Armatures main cannons. Kaiden fired the Mako's cannon, and hit the target. From what I could see the Armature exploded and then went limp. One down, one to go. Kaiden rained bullets on the remaining Armature, dropping its shields. He fired the cannon again. The Armature exploded like the one before, and fell to the ground. Shepard put the Mako to a stop. She looked back at us.

"Is everyone alright?" she asked. I nodded and so did Garrus. Tali said she was fine and Wrex tried to make a pun on the driving but I tuned it out. For some odd reason, my shoulder started to burn.

We headed after the quick battle. So far we met with small Geth scouting forces, but we made quick work out of them. I tried to collect my thoughts about this mission. If I remember correctly, there would be a-

"Small outpost up ahead." Huh? Well damn Ashley, at least let me finish a thought. Shepard stopped the Mako, and looked ahead.

"Maybe we can punch through with the Mako. The cannon is powerful enough" stated Kaiden. Someone is trigger happy.

"That would be no good, there is hardly any room for the Mako to maneuver. Plus those turrets will tear us apart," Wrex stated. He was right. The road was covered with boulders, and plus the gate was closed, so no way to ram right through. Then it hit me. The shortcut route from the game! If this world is anything like it, then it should be there.

"Maybe we can find a way around. Flank them and catch them off guard," I suggested. Shepard and Ashley turned towards me.

"Not bad Spade. Didn't think you would come up with anything," Ashley said with a tone. Really?

"Just doing what I do best, Gunny. Surviving. Any other way, and we could end up calling the Mako our coffins." She sent me a glare. Why is it that all the aliens are cool with me, but the two humans aren't.

"Spade is right. If we flank them, we would have the advantage. Alenko, you see a way we can use?" said Shepard. Ashley looked away, and mumbled. I shook my head.

"I see a path. Looks like it leads to the outpost." Shepard nodded, and with the turn of the wheel, we were off again. I readied myself, and motioned for the others to get ready as well.

Sure enough, we saw the outpost, and the Geth didn't see us coming. Shepard hit the gas, and I went back due to the force of the Mako. We crashed into the outpost, probably running over some Geth along the way. Kaiden started firing the gun, and Shepard gave the order to ready ourselves.

"Alright! On my signal, charge out and get to cover as quickly as you can!" We all nodded. Garrus took out a Phaston rifle. Wrex and Tali two Katana shotguns. I took out my Hurricane. Garrus opened the hatch, the hot air, and sulfur coming into the tank. Garrus and I readied ourselves, since we will be the first out.

"Go, go, go!" Garrus and I dashed out, dodging shots and returning fire. I readied my tech armor to give me a slight advantage. Garrus and I made it behind some small crates. We started returning fire to give the others some cover. I fired off an Overload, knocking a Geth down to the ground. We all had cover, and Kaiden was taking down any Geth coming out of the gate houses. At first it looked like we had a clean sweep, but then a Geth gunship came back, launching six Geth troopers and a Geth prime. Still, we had an advantage with the Mako.

After about a five minute gunfight, we won. Shepard order to get the gates open and the outer turrets of line so we wouldn't get hit. Shepard, Ashley, and Wrex went towards the entrance, and Garrus, Tali, and I walked towards the exit gate. Kaiden stayed in the Mako to watch our backs in case the Geth gunship comes back for another round.

Once inside the gate house we looked for the controls. Tali found the gate controls and I found the turret controls. We both got to work, while Garrus watched our backs. While working, I could hear Garrus and Tali talking. I chuckled when I realized Garrus was teasing her. Kind of like how he would tease her in the elevator rides. Hold on, Mass Effect 3 is when they form a bond. Maybe with a little manipulation, I can get those two together before the end of this journey.

After a few swipes on my omnitool and on the controls, the turrets were down. I looked over to Tali and saw the gates open. Well, that's done. We started to head back to the Mako.

"Hey Adrian. Can I ask you something?" Tali asked. She sounded nervous. I looked at her, waiting for the question. I felt kind of bad knowing that the skull was probably making her even more nervous.

"Garrus and I were talking about family, and I was wondering. Do you have a family to go home to?" she asked. I mentally looked down. Never really liked talking about my family. Yeah, I was in terms with their deaths, but I can't bring myself to wonder what they are thinking, knowing their only child is now an assassin for hire.

"My family is gone Tali. Passed away before I became an assassin."

"Oh... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

I shrugged. "You have nothing to be sorry about. You couldn't have possibly known about them." The conversation ended there. Good thing too. I hated talking about the past.

Shepard POV

We were waiting by the Mako. I saw Garrus, Tali, and Adrian walk out of the gate house. By the looks of it, Tali was asking Adrian something, but she and Garrus looked down. Adrian probably shot the question down. Could be something about his past. On my side, I could Ashley grumble something. I sighed.

"Something on your mind Williams?" I asked. She jumped a little, probably not expecting me to ask her something.

"Sorry Commander. I was just thinking. Alenko told me about last night. Do you really think we can trust Spade? After everything he has done?" Damnit, not this again.

"Look Williams, I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Kaiden. He saved my life, and not only that but Tali's as well. I've never heard of an assassin going back on a job, yet he did. He is different, and I know it." She just looked away.

I turned to see the trio come up to us. I ordered them to get in the Mako, and then we were off. The drive was easy, only running into small patrols. I was thinking about what Ashley said. Both she and Kaiden didn't trust Adrian. It was sad really. Anyone who is willing to fight Saren is an ally, so why do they not trust him?

After about thirty minutes, we ended up stopping. There was a small opening and the Mako wouldn't be able to fit. We all exited the squad, and we headed up the hill. I sent word to Joker to pick the Mako. Garrus worked hard to calibrate it for Therum, and I didn't want his work to go to waste.

"Something is wrong with the radar Commander. I can't pick anything up," Kaiden said. I checked mine, and sure enough, something was wrong.

"Geth!" I heard Tali scream. I looked up and saw a full platoon of Geth troopers.

"Get to cover, and push up the hill! We need to get to that dig site!" Everyone sprang into action. I shot back with my Crusader, taking out a Geth Hunter. I looked over my side and saw Wrex tackle a trooper and blast of its flash light head with his shotgun. I would shivered but the Geth deserve it after Eden Prime. Along the way I found a Hydra missile launcher. That would come in handy if things go south for us.

We slowly made progress up the hill. I was grateful that the team was working well together. Garrus and Adrian were in the back taking out any snipers or providing cover. Kaiden and Ashley were mainly providing cover fire, but Kaiden would sometimes use a Pull field and I would use a Warp field causing a biotic explosion. Kaiden and I worked well together when combining our biotic abilities. It was comforting knowing I had a teammate with the same abilities as I had. Although I was an L3 and he was an L2.

After we made it on top the hill, we could see the entrance of the dig site. I had a bad feeling in my gut, and apparently so did Adrian since he reloaded his rifle. We slowly made our way down, so far seeing nothing. Then, as if to make our lives harder, a Gunship flew by, dropping a Geth Armature.

"Armature! Get to cover!" I yelled. Not only was there the Armature, but Geth troopers started moving in as well. Shit. The troopers would be too easy. Someone would take a trooper down but then would have to quickly get into cover. I looked over and saw Adrian struggling to get a shot out. That is when it hit me. His sniper rifle had those abilities.

"Adrian," I called through the com. "I have an idea, but I'm going to need your help."

"What do you need?" he asked.

"You said that your rifle can fire off explosive rounds. You think an EMP round will destroy the Armatuer?" I could see his head shoot up and look towards me.

"Shepard, my rifle is powerful, but not that powerful. If anything, an EMP round will just weaken the shields. Not deplete them." Damnit.

"What about if we combine an Overload tech with the EMP? Wouldn't that work?" suggested Garrus. There was a moment of silence in the com. I heard Wrex firing a Carnage tech towards the Geth. By the sound of him laughing, I assumed he hit a target.

"You know, that actually might work. It would drop the shield almost completely. That should allow enough time for you to use that missile launcher you picked up." I nodded towards Adrian and he then he disappeared. Probably using an active cloak. I waited for thirty seconds, then contacted him.

"When will you be ready?"

"I'm ready now. Just waiting for the shield to drop." I nodded. I took a peak from my cover and noticed a Geth trooper heading towards me. Reloading my Crusader, I quickly moved out of cover, and fired the single slug ripping the Geth apart. I went back to cover, and looked over at the squad. Garrus, Tali, and Kaiden were probably the best to use Overload.

"Garrus, Tali, Kaiden! On my signal, I want all three of you to fire an Overload at the Geth Armature. That will give Adri- Spade a clear shot!" I saw all three nod and get to a firing position. I peaked over and watched the Armature slowly walk towards us.

"Now!" I watched the three omnitools light up and saw the electricity coursing through the four legged Geth. I saw it stumble for a second until it regained its posture. I waited, my heart pumping the adrenaline. Second's were more like minutes. I heard my radio go on, static and breathing on the other end.

"Firing EMP round." The radio shut off, and then a loud thunder like sound rang through the small valley. I looked up and saw a large blue orb like object fly through the air towards the Geth. Once the orb slammed into the Armature's head. The mech started to stumble. This was my chance. I quickly took out the Hydra and started priming the weapon. Once primed I aimed towards the Armatuer and realised the trigger. A barrage of rockets fired from the launcher and met their target. The Armature exploded. Sparks, flames and synthetic coolant flew in all directions. The Armature was destroyed.

"Target down. All clear ." I sighed in relief.

"Good work Spade."

"My pleasure_." _I smiled softly, but quickly pulled a serious face. I gave the hand signal to form up. We all walked towards a ramp that lead up towards the entrance of the dig site. I looked around, seeing the group getting ready for another push. I looked over and saw Adrian walking towards us. He held his rifle close to him as he loaded a fresh clip. He nodded towards me. I nodded back and looked at the group. With everyone together it would be cramped and there wouldn't be a lot of room to maneuver. That and I don't want to risk any Geth blocking our only exit. Some will have to stay behind.

"Alenko, I want you, Wrex, and Garrus to stay here. Stop any Geth that try to enter the dig site." He saluted, and motioned Wrex and Garrus to join him. "Williams. You, Tali, and Spade will come with me to find the doctor."

Adrian POV

The way down to Liara was uneventful. Every now and then we would stumble upon a Geth turret or a corpse. Once we were at the elevator, I readied myself for the meeting. I never really liked Liara, but if keeping her alive is a priority then I have no choice but to oblige. Once we walked up to her, I tried hard not to laugh. She looked ridiculous caught in the biotic bubble. While Shepard was talking to her, I tuned out the conversation. Ashley seemed to do the same, so we both kept watch. I knew we would be attacked, but being the fact that not everything will happen the same way, I kept a watchful eye. I started getting a bad feeling, and seeing that I'm on higher ground, I took out my rifle and switched it for normal rounds. Ashley noticed and stepped towards me.

"Expecting trouble Spade?" she asked. She couldn't see my face because of my helmet, but I smirked.

"Survival rule number one. Always expect trouble." I couldn't see her face, and she couldn't respond. We heard some rubble fall over and some footsteps. She took out her Avenger, and I aimed with my rifle. I switched on an electrical scanner on my HUD. There was some interference, meaning that something was in this cave. Shepard walked up to me, and looked out.

"You see anything?" I shook my head.

"No, but I'm catching some movement down there and electrical interference. Might just be a glitch on my HUD, but can't be too careful." I notice her squint her eyes to see if she could see anything. Her noise wrinkled when she did that, and I couldn't help but chuckle. It was kind of cute, seeing the hero of the galaxy doing something a little girl would do. She took at her SMG and loaded it.

"Well, only one way to find out." She said with a smirk. I couldn't help but smile, even though she couldn't see it. I switched for my pistol, and we then head down to look for another way to Liara. As soon as we passed the drill, Geth soldiers started moving towards us. I activated my Tech Armor and fired off some shots. Tali and Ashley were busy with their own fight, so it was just me and Shepard. I fired an Incineration Tech, catching a trooper on fire. Shepard saw this as an opportunity and sent off a Warp field, causing an impressive fire explosion.

I looked over to Shepard, and noticed her looking at me. She had that look on her face that she had when she and Kaiden were working together on the way up here. Then it clicked. She wanted the same thing with me, except this time with my Tech skills. I quickly holstered my pistol and activated my other Tech tool. I took a breath and then took off. I fired two Cryo blasts and sprinted towards Shepard. I slid next to her, and saw her biotic flare. She spun her arm around and fired two Throw fields towards the Geth. Next we saw two Cryo explosions. Three down. I saw another Geth come around the corner. Acting fast, I quickly sent an Overload. The initial blast rattled the Geth's shields, and I could see the blue sparks left from the blast. Over my head, flew by what I could tell as a Warp field, hit the Geth and cause a Tech Burst.

I smirked and looked at Shepard. She smiled at me. I heard footsteps, and saw Ashley and Tali staring at us, dumbfounded.

"Keelah... I've never seen anything like that before," said Tali. Ashley chuckled.

"I'll say. You two make a deadly pair." I took of my helmet, and brushed my hair. Shepard walked towards me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Looks like you'll be joining me on mission's more often. That was the first time I ever combined my Biotics with Tech. It was fun actually." I chuckled.

"As weird as it sounds, it was. As for the missions," I gave my best Han Solo salute I picked up and slightly smiled, "I look forward to it."

Shepard smiled and turned back at the wall where Liara was held captive, by her own foolish mistake. Well, at least it was keeping her alive. Knowing that I will probably need my helmet in the near future I put it back on.

"We still need to find away to the doctor. Any ideas?" Shepard asked. Tali walked down from her little slope and headed towards the drill.

"Actually, I might have an idea, with a little help from Ashley." That's surprising. Ashley working with aliens? Never would of thought. Shepard asked about the idea. "How about we use the drill? It might be able to punch a hole to the other side." Shepard contemplated the idea, and nodded. Tali looked as if she jumped with excitement and got to work on the drill.

After about a minute, the drill powered on. Tali ran towards us, and yelled for us to get to cover. The four of us ducked behind some boulders. The drill fired a large stream of energy into the wall underneath Liara. The explosion was fierce and seemed to rattle the mountain. The four of us looked up and saw blue light coming from the hole the drill made. Looks like we have a way in.

Once inside, Shepard hit a switch, and the doctor was released. She said her thanks, and asked about the explosions. At this point I had my helmet back on, and once Liara saw me she freaked. She flared her biotics and was about to launch something at me, but Shepard stopped her.

"He is on our side Dr. T'Soni," Shepard said in my defense. The doctor looked at her cross eyed, and I sighed. Shepard explained how I "saved her life" from the assassins and that I'm a willing member of the _Normandy_. Liara looked skeptical at first, but after Shepard explained she nodded.

"I guess I should also thank you for my rescue." She sounded nervous. I was about to answer, until the ground started to shake.

"What the hell was that?" said Ashley. Aw shit. I remember this.

"I think when you activated the drill, it caused a seismic reaction. These ruins are standing on top of a dormant volcano. If we don't hurry, we will be caught in the eruption," Liara explained.

"Then we better get moving. Let's go!" yelled Shepard. We got on a huge platform Liara said was an elevator. She hit a switch and we started to move up. Shepard contacted both Joker and Kaiden, telling them to get ready for extraction. The earth around us started to quake. I was getting nervous. I took out my SMG and loaded it. Shepard looked at me, and noticed my nervousness. She gave me a reassuring smile, and I felt a little at ease.

Once the elevator stopped, my nervousness came back. There stood a large Krogan and a small battalion of Geth troopers and hunters behind him. I activated my Tech and readied for a fight. Shepard tried to reason with the Krogan, but to no avail. The Geth moved into action, and we did the same. Ashley gave Liara some cover. Tali and I fired a mixture of Sabotage and Overload towards some unfortunate Geth soldiers. Some fell, but others stood strong. Shepard sent a Warp towards the Krogan and some Geth, buying her some time to get to cover.

It was chaos. The Geth tried to surround us, and the Krogan was sending a barrage of biotic powers and shotgun shots. We were almost pinned, but luckily the team worked well. Ashley and Tali would take out any Geth that came to our side. Shepard and I teamed up again, combining our skills to take out any Geth in front of us. So far it looked like we were winning, until I saw the Krogan charge up in biotic energy, and fire a Warp field towards Shepard. My mind flashed to a memory. A friend that was killed due to a high energy Warp field. Out of instinct, I rushed to Shepard as fast as I can.

I shoved Shepard out of the way. She looked at me confused, but then her expression changed. I turned only to be slammed by the Warp field. The burning mass effect fields tore through my Tech Armor and my hard suit. I could feel the scars on my chest tear through more skin. I landed hard on the metal floor, knocking the air out of me. Ashley and Tali were at my side within seconds. My HUD was breaking out, and my lungs burned as I tried to breath. I tore my helmet off, and saw both Shepard and Liara combining their powers to take down the Krogan. Liara used a Warp to take down the Barrier and Shepard sent a fierce Throw field. The reaction caused a devastating biotic explosion, killing the Krogan instantly.

Shepard ran towards me, and helped me up. She looked pissed.

"Don't ever do that again! Damnit Adrian, you could of died!" Shepard yelled at my face. I looked down, breathing hard. I felt like shit. I've had some nasty injuries, but this was probably the worst. I could feel my skin tearing and burning. I noticed my armor. The chest plate was destroyed. Couldn't be used anymore.

I looked at Shepard. "You know what Shepard, I would say something but right now, I just don't give a damn." My tone was dark and cold, and I could tell she wasn't expecting that remark. I stood up and placed the helmet back on my head. A quick reboot for the HUD and after a few seconds it was fine. The cave started to quake, and the tremors were far more fiercer. Shepard ordered us to move, and we all took off.

By the time we made it out of the cave and back into the Normandy, my chest was burning and my breathing was labored. I stumbled to my locker. I ribbed off my upper armor, and tore my helmet off. I ungracefully placed everything in my locker. Weapons, helmet, everything I could still use. Even with the armor off, I found it hard to breath. That must of been a wicked Warp field. I turned, feeling someone staring at me. To my surprise I saw the ground crew, Tiffany, Liara and Chakwas. Shepard looked shocked, hell they all did. Confused, I looked around, trying to see if there was anything in the cargo bay. Nothing was out of the ordinary until-

"Aw! Damnit!" I yelled. The burning started to take its toll. I looked down at my bare chest, and noticed that my scarring had worsing. The swirls on my chest grew, and the blue scars know traveled down my arm and ended at my wrist. The burning increased and I felt my world start to darken. The pain was unbearable. I tried to look around, but all I could see were blurry figures heading towards me. Then, my world went black.

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**There you have it Ladies and Gentlemen! Hoped you enjoyed this chapter. With Liara in the crew, things might just get interesting. And what about Adrian? Will these burns overcome him during the journy? Only one way to find out!**

**Also I would like to give out some Shout outs: Kamika111 for helping me with any translations, it has been a huge help! Also for FtDLulz and Soverign X22 for following and reviewing this story since chapter 1. And of course to All of YOU that have been reading and supporting the story. Honestly, it is a huge confidence booster. **

**Like I said before, I'm in the middle of finals week, and plus this month is always a busy month for me. I will update but probably not as soon as I would of liked. Still there will be updates, so don't worry.**

**Thanks again everyone!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Season's greetings everyone! First off, I want to say another thank you for everyone following, favoriting, and reviewing this story. Another thing: I'm going to do weekly updates starting today, that way I can work on this story, and on the Adrian Dawn story arc. I'm also going to start another fic with a new character, so I'll be brainstorming on that which will take up some of my writing time.**

**Anyway, here is the next chapter for Spade. For those wanting to see some Shepard and Adrian scenes this is the chapter for you. Enjoy :)**

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Chapter 7: Debriefing

Eden POV

We just finished the debrief after recruiting Liara T'Soni, and I just finished my transmission with the Council. I stood in the center of the room, my mind trapped with the memory of Adrian pushing me out of the way, and taking the Warp field. At first I was angered, but after seeing his face, and his injuries, I felt guilty. If I was watching the Krogan, I could've stopped him from launching the Warp. But I didn't see it, and because of it, Adrian received pretty grave wounds.

I've heard of Biotic Scarring, but never seen it before. The blue scars started at the chest, riddling his torso, and the cutting down his arms. I knew he was hurting, but when he took of the armor, the scars started to take its toll. His screams sent shivers down my back. I caused that pain. I was careless.

The door opened. Cadet Tiffany Smith walked in, holding a datapad. She was an assistant for Dr. Chakwas, and from what the doctor told me, she was pretty good. She had a degree in Psychology and like Chakwas, she was pretty good with Alien physiology. She walked towards me, and saluted. I nodded.

"Commander. Dr. Chakwas sent me to get you. She has information in regards to Mr. Dawn's health. Also, she ordered me to give you the report on his psyche reading." I felt my heart drop, and I was nervous. I told Chakwas that I need a psyche reading on Adrian. I need to know what it is that drives him, and what would cause him to risk his life. I've never met an assassin that was willing to risk his life like that.

"Let's hear it." Tiffany took a breath. I read her file and this was her first military operation. She was nervous but she always gave it her all. It was refreshing in a way. She looked at her datapad, pressing a few keys.

"Adrian Dawn. Normally he is a casual character. Sincere enough to not disrespect anyone, but isn't a push over. He isn't scared to say what is on his mind, and he would sometimes answer serious questions with humor or sarcasm. He would probably drive politicians like Udina crazy." I couldn't help but smile. Seeing Udina trying to give a speech and Adrian just firing back with sarcasm.

"However, after that he goes downhill. He tends to shut himself when asked about his past, especially the past seven years. At first he would be open, almost happy, but when he gets further in the subject, his mood changes. He seems emotionally hurt, saddened even. I think he regrets ever being an assassin in the first place. He also express loss. He was comfortable with his parents deaths, so I'm assuming that it is something more recent. Aside from that, he shows signs of rapid eye movement. I asked about any dreams he may be having, but he would just brush it off like nothing happened. Whatever he has gone through, it is taking a toll on him."

I was hoping it would be better than that. I'll have to make the point of talking with him after I've talked with Chakwas.

"Good work Smith. Go get some rest. And if you can, keep an eye on him and let me know if anything happens." She smiled and saluted. I returned the gesture and headed towards the medbay. Dr. Chakwas was sitting at her desk. I noticed Adrian wasn't in a cot. Must be in his room.

"Doctor. What is Adrian's condition?" The doctor looked up at me, and then stood up. She too had a datapad in her hand.

"Commander. Adrian is doing fine. He went to his room a few minutes ago." I nodded. Well at least he is doinh something.

"There is one problem Commander." Oh no. "He has reached the second stage of Biotic Burning." That doesn't sound good.

"What is Biotic Burning?"

"I expected you never heard of it. Being a Biotic yourself, your body will absorb any mass effect fields without harm. However, for those who are not, the case is far more severe. Biotic Burning is when mass effect fields make physical contact with an organic being. Warp fields are normally the initial cause." I gulped. A little bit of me screamed that I just doomed Adrian.

"What is Adrian's case?" Chakwas looked at her datapad. She had a conflicted look.

"He will survive, as long as he doesn't take any more shots. However, he will be in pain. He will experience intensive burning sensations. Luckily, we will know when the scars start to glow. Like you flaring your biotics. If the burning intensifies he can collapse. Thankfully, I have a serum that will dull the pain, however, we will need to make a requisition order for more."

I sighed in relief knowing that he wasn't completely lost. "Another thing Commander. If you, or any other touch him, you biotic's will flare slightly. I've never seen anything like it. Tiffany, who is an L3 like yourself, lightly grazed him and her hand lit up for a few moments. It doesn't harm him, but it could be something to be mindful of." That is interesting.

"Thank you Doctor. And, next time we are at the Citadel, I will place an order for the serum." Chakwas nodded, and sat back down. I turned and left the medbay, heading to the grounds team quarters. As I passed through the door not really paying attention, then bumped into something hard. I steadied myself, and noticed small blues wisps of energy around my arms. They danced slightly in the air, but then vanished. I heard a sigh, causing me to look up. It was Adrian. I tried not to gasp. He wasn't wearing his jacket so his arms were exposed. Blue scars, which looked more like tearing, riddled his arms. They tore through to his wrists and hands. My guilt only deepened.

"You okay Shepard? I didn't mean to bump into you like that," he said. He sounded exhausted. Probably a side effect of the serum, or burns. I tried to smile, hoping that it could help. He gave me a tired smile back.

"I'm fine. I was actually, on my way to see how you were holding up." His smile faded, and he looked around. Some of the crew that was off duty were around. So were some of the ground team. Some were staring at him, or his scars.

"If you don't mind, I rather not talk here. I was going to get something to eat and head back to my room." Speaking of food, I felt my stomach growl. Being a biotic, I burn energy a lot quicker than most organics. Eating didn't sound like a bad idea.

"Mind if I join you?" He smiled and nodded. We got our food, and then headed to his room. I caught some stares from the crew. Mainly from Kaidan and Liara. I felt kind of bad in part that Kaidan asked to have lunch together, but Adrian is hurt. And it was my fault. We walked into his room, he moved some items away. His helmet, some datapads, and clothes. He pulled the chair out for me, waited till I was seated, and sat on his bed. He extended his legs, and had his back to the wall. I smiled. He looked like a kid in college at the dorm. Being a dork myself, I got up and sat on the opposite side of the bed. Leaning against the wall, and crossed my legs for my food tray. He chuckled.

At first we ate in silence. It felt good getting some food in my stomach, but the silence was awkward. Adrian would sometimes shift, but other than that he was silent. I felt heavy, and eventually I couldn't take this silence any more.

"I'm sorry about Therum," I said. He raised an eyebrow and frowned in confusion. Not having a clue on what to really say, but I had to say something. "I'm sorry that I'm the reason you got hurt. If I was paying attention you wouldn't have to push me out of the way. But... Because of my recklessness, you paid for it. I'm sorry Adrian." There it is. If he is willing to except it than great. If he wants me to leave, then so be it.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Shepard." I looked at him with surprise. "I knew what I was doing when I pushed you. Yeah, probably not the smartest thing, but I did it anyway. If anything, I should apologize for making you feel this way." His voice was sincere. I was surprised.

"You don't have to apologize either." I couldn't help but chuckle. "I guess I owe you one." He gave me a sly smile.

"Well there is a way you could repay me." I raised an eyebrow and he chuckled. "Seeing that you know my first name, how about honoring me with yours?" I smiled.

"Fair enough. Eden. Eden Shepard." He grinned.

"Eden... that is a very beautiful name_." _They way he said my name, with that accent, made my heart flutter a little bit. I couldn't help but smile even more. I took a few more bites of my food. My mind was thinking over what Tiffany and Chakwas said. Then I remembered the initial incident.

"Adrian, I have to ask. Why did you push me? Why take the hit?" He looked at me for a moment. He placed his tray on the nightstand and shifted to probably make himself comfortable. He took a moment, probably trying to find a way to answer.

"It was mainly impulse. I've seen people, good people, killed because of a similar attack. I couldn't let that happen again." I looked away, noticing some of the scars had slightly formed on his neck. He said "again".

"What happened? The first time." He looked down, and took a breath.

"It was during a job. Before, I worked with a squad, similar to the one you formed up. I and two friends were hired to take out an Asari matron who was leading a slaving business. Big credits were involved. At first the job was going smoothly, everything was going to plan, until..."

"Until...?"

He sighed, and got up. "Someone tipped the target off. We were made, and then Eclipse mercs surrounded us. We only had one biotic, Stephanie, but she was no match for a squad of former commandos. I and my other teammate, Robert, tried to fend them off. Unfortunately, one of the mercs managed to get around us. She charged a massive Warp field and launched it on Robert." He paused, leaning forward on his desk. "Robert didn't make it. The blast killed him within seconds. There was nothing I could've done to save him."

I felt saddened. It was like he was blaming himself. "You sound like you are to blame for his death." He looked at me, his expression was blank.

"I was careless. My main concern was finishing the job. Never did I think about my squad mates, and because of that they are all dead. So yeah, I blame myself."

I set my food tray aside and sat up. I walked to him, and placed my hand on his shoulder. A light blue flame started to dance on my hand. "It isn't your fault. You are alive, and I'm sure your friend Robert will want you to live your life not regretting his death." He looked at my hand, and slight smile formed.

"He would want me to leave the business. But, your right. Robert always said that he would rather die during a fight then in a hospital." He turned, causing me to bring my hand back. "Thanks Eden." He chuckled. "That was the first time I ever talked about my past missions. Especially ones involving my squad mates. It was refreshing." I smiled, and went back to my seat and finish my food. I was a slow eater. Adrian also went back to his spot on the bed. After his story, the air was a little sad. I felt bad but also closer to who Adrian really was. He was a mystery to me. Maybe some general questions can help me in my cause.

"We should change the topic. Mind if I ask you some questions?" I asked. He gave me a questioning look.

"I just gave a heart wrenching story, and you want to interrogate me?" He asked. That caused me to laugh for a bit.

"No, not like that. I just want to get to know you. Out of the entire crew, you are a mystery. And I want to solve it." He laughed.

"Alright then. But instead of you asking the questions, we switch off."

"Fair enough." I placed my tray down, finally finished. I started thinking of what to ask, causing me to place my finger on my lips. Adrian started to chuckle. I can't help it if I act like a kid at times, and with Adrian it was easy. He was able to bring that out somehow.

"Okay, what is your favorite color?"

"Between Green and Blue, but out of the two, I prefer Green."

"Really? Green would have to be mine." He smiled, and his eyes reached mine. Wait? My eyes are green. And he is looking at my eyes. Does he like my eyes? The thought caused my cheeks to redden. Crap, I can't think like that.

"Alright, my turn. Favorite music?" Oh, that's a good one.

"I really don't have a favorite. What about you?" He smiled and leaned towards his night stand. He pushed a key on his holo-clock, and I could hear what sounded like blues rock.

"A mix of Blues and Jazz. This is one of my favorite bits from the twentieth century. It is Eric Clpaton Driftin' Blues." I listened to it. The guitar was amazing. At one point we just sat in silence, listening to the music. It was really calming for some reason. After a bit, Adrian started to air guitar, his movements as if he was playing the guitar. I giggled, it was kind of cute. He noticed, and stopped scratching the back of his neck.

"Sorry. I sort of get into the music at times. Mom always had music play in the house when I was a kid. Sometimes we would just stop what we were doing and just start dancing with the beat. She also got me a guitar when I was young. Loved playing music. It's a way to see how a person feels. A way to communicate without words"

"Sounds like music is a passion for you." He chuckled.

"Maybe. I do miss my guitar, though. I left it at home. Uncle probably sold it."

"Well that isn't right, I would love to hear you play."

"Yeah? Well, maybe after this is all over and I'll get myself a guitar I'll play you a song sometime. My treat." His smile made me smile. It was really contagious.

"It's a date then," I said with a jokingly tone. Still, it would be fun. Adrian chuckled.

"Don't tempt me Eden. I may be a cold blooded assassin, but I do know how to charm someone that peaks my interest." Well with that accent yeah. At this point the song changed to another blues rock song. The guitar sent a chill down my spine. Adrian looked at me with a curious look. "Can you dance Eden?" Oh no. Now I felt embarrassed.

"No. I don't think I'm very good anyway." He chuckled, and stood up

"Come on Eden._ We all have a beat in us." I laughed a little._

"If that's the case, then I guess I haven't found my beat then." He waved his hand.

"Nah, it's there alright, you just haven't matched yourself with its pace." I smiled. He is defiantly from the Big Easy, especially with that attitude. I was going to reply but my omnitool went off. Checking it, I noticed the message was from Anderson. It was marked urgent and that I should call him when available. I sighed, I was really enjoying this time with Adrian.

"Well, I have to get back to my duties. It was fun though." He gave me an understanding look and nodded. I smiled. I picked up my tray and also took his since I was heading out. He stood up and walked me out of his room. I turned to look at him and he smiled.

"It was fun. We should make this a regular thing."

"Good for the heart right. How did you say it? _C_'_est bon pour le coeur?" _He chuckled.

"_Oui, c'est_ _bon pour le coeur. _Good night Eden. Sleep well." He closed his door. I could hear the music turn up a little louder. I headed for the mess hall, and then back to work. All with a little smile on my face.

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**Well there you have it my friends. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. A few days ago I recieved a PM asking what Adrian's personal skills are. Well, the music scene is should be a huge indicator on what that is.**

**Anyway, I hope you all have an amazing week. And until next time (And in the words of Shepard and Garrus)**

**I should go. I'm in the middle of some calibrations.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello everyone! Did ya'll miss me!? Probably not... jerks. Nah, just playing. Well, after a long break (which I apologize for) I'm back with the long awaited Chapter 8. **

**I would like to apologize for being gone with this chapter. However, I would never abandon Spade nor YOU, the readers. You guys keep this alive by reading and reviewing, and honestly, I felt ashamed that I didn't deliever this sooner. As to make it up to you, I would work harder when possible. I am a college student, so I will be busy and sometimes drained, but I will prevail!**

**Anyway, without further delay, I give you Chapter 8 of Mass Effect: Spade**

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Chapter 8: The Colony, and the Ex.

Adrian POV

The next day I woke sore. The burns were taking its toll. Aside from the nightmares, I slept alright though. When I woke I put on my usual outfit. The combat boots, the army combat pants, and the sleeveless black underarmor. Putting the shirt on hurt like hell. Like someone repeatedly prodding me with a burning metal rod. I looked at the bathroom mirror and sure enough my burns were glowing. The Doc told me that it was a normal, plus that I would be in constant pain without a serum. Without it, the burning would worsen, and I would developed stage three Biotic Burning, which would be like the end of a cancer patient that isn't going to make. Stage three is the end of the line for me, and I don't want that.

I walked across the mess towards the med bay. Breakfast was just finishing. Garrus, Ashley, Wrex, Tiffany, and Joker were there. Joker must be off duty. As I was walking I could feel them looking my way. I just kept walking forward, until I noticed Tiffany get up. Ever since Therum she has been helping Doc with my condition. It was reliving. I couldn't remember the last time I had help like this. Of course I didn't have scarring caused from biotic powers.

"Hey Adrian. How are you feeling?" I could catch the bit of concern. I also caught a few snickers from some of the marines. I shot them a look and they shut their mouths.

"I'm doing great." I tried to give her the most genuine smile I can give, even though I was lying. She gave me a look.

"Adrian. I am a psychology major. You are lying to me." I sighed.

"Alright fine. The burning is back. As you can tell by the glow." I motioned at my arms. She had a look. As we walked into the med bay, Chakwas greeted us with a small smile and nod. Looks like she is giving the reins to Tiffany. Tiffany led me to a cot, and I sat down. She went to the medicine cabinet to get the things she needed. She pulled out a package of the serum. The name was something out of a cheap SyFy film, I swear it. The serum was a creamy blue liquid. She placed it the vial into one of those gun doctors use to give a shot. She went up to me, and started that whole procedure nurses do with shots. I never really pay attention to it.

Tiffany tried to be as gentle as she could be. It was really nice actually. Her major concern was the reaction of her biotics. Every time someone with a biotic ability touches me, they will start glowing blue. Honestly, I was worried the burns would increase due to contact, but they actually felt, soothing. When Shepard, or Eden, placed her hand on my shoulder, her hand glowed, and I felt fine. Relaxed even.

"That was a very courageous things you did on Therum. Saving the Commander like that." She smiled.

"Surprised that an assassin would do that."

"No, an assassin wouldn't do that." I raised an eyebrow. She chuckled.

"What I mean is that you don't even act like one. When I first met you I thought you were a mercenary, or maybe Black Ops. Not an assassin." That was surprising. Come to think of it, people treated me differently than I thought they would. "Anyway, it was very brave of you to do. Second time you watched her back, right?" I smiled and nodded.

After she was finished, I could feel the instant relief. The burns dulled away, and I was back to normal. Chakwas told me that should last all week, so I was cleared for missions. Tiffany and I walked back to the mess. I got some food, and she invited me to sit with her. She was sitting with some of the ground team, plus Joker. As I sat I could see them looking at the scars.

"Damn Spade. I heard what happened but I didn't think it looked that bad. Of course they could be a killer story," Joker said. I didn't pay him any mind. Tiffany sat next to me on my right and on my left was Ashley. I started eating, not caring about the stares. I could see from my peripheral vision Ashley glancing. I was about to say something till I noticed her and another marine, a man, eating some strawberries.

"Did you know that strawberries are an aphrodisiac?" I said not looking away from my food. I just couldn't help my self. Ashley chocked on a strawberry, the other marine pushed the bowl away looking guilty, Joker started laughing, Garrus and Wrex looked at me confused, and Tiffany started blushing.

"What does that mean?" asked Garrus.

"Well you see. It means-"

"Stow it Joker, or I'll break your legs!" Yelled Ashley. That got me to laugh. Garrus and Wrex still looked confused. I gave them a look that I will tell them later. Eventually the marine got up and left. "Damn you Spade. We were just enjoying breakfast!"

"Uh huh. Let me guess, he was the one that brought the strawberries?" She thought about it at first and her looked changed from anger to shock. "See. I'm just looking out for you."

"Well that's surprising coming from you Spade. But, I guess I should get use to it, after what happened on Therum." I shrugged. So far that's two that mentioned the mission. Is it really that surprising for me to save someone.

"You know Spade, those scars could earn the right to mate with the females on my planet," said Wrex. I started choking on my food. Tiffany, instinctivly grabbed my shoulder, causing her hand to lightly flare. Some of the crew members were surprised by it. After I cleared my throat I looked at Wrex.

"Sorry Wrex. I'm not really into Krogan women."

"Well what kind of species are you in too?" asked Joker. Really? Can I guy with a terrible injury eat in peace? Is that too much to ask?

"Really Joker?" I asked. Apparently, everyone was interested in my answer. Some marines gathered around the table, mostly woman. I glared at Joker and he had a cheeky smile. Bastard. "Jesus, really guys?" I sighed. "Fine. Mostly human, but there was a time I dated a Turian, a Drell, and yes, an Asari." Some of the marines either giggled, lightly cheered, or were surprised. I wasn't a xenophobe, and I was really curious, especially with the Turian.

"You dated a Turian?" asked one of the marines. He spat when he said Turian. I leered.

"I'm not xenophobic, meaning I'm not pathetic. You have a problem with that you can kiss my ass," I spat at the marine. Some of his colleagues laughed at him. He just looked down and walked away. Garrus looked at me.

"Seriously, you dated a Turian?"

"Yeah. It was for a short while. It was a really good time but eventually I had to end things. Hell, I ended all my short relationships." Wrex nodded, probably understanding why. The others looked at me confused.

"Why did you end them?" asked Ashley and Tiffany in unison.

"My career doesn't really have room for that sort of thing. I was paid to hunt people, and people were paid to hunt me. An enemy would use anything to get to you, even those you care about. I couldn't live with myself knowing that I doomed a girlfriend. They were all innocent, and hell, they deserved something better."

Some people nodded. After that a lot of awkward questions were sent my way. Like 'What does a Turian female look like?' or 'What was IT like?' or 'What was their favorite position?'. I was about to shoot myself until Kaiden came in.

"Alright everyone, leave the assassin alone, back to your posts." I sighed in relief. Kaiden looked at me, and I sent a nod. He just leered and then walked off. Wrex and Ashley left, and then Tiffany went back to the med bay. It was just Garrus and I. So far, things with him have been alright. Were not buds, but he hasn't tried to kill me, yet.

"So Spade, Tali tells me that your real name is Adrian?" I nodded. "Which do you prefer? The nickname, or the name you were born with?"

"Adrian is fine." He nodded, and looked away for a bit.

"So a Turian female." Oh god. He put his hands up. "Don't worry, I'm not going to ask any of those ridiculous questions the humans asked. I'm just curious is all. What was her name?"

"Ieris. Met her in Illium, we dated for a while, then I had to end things. Simple as that." Garrus nodded in understanding.

"**All ground team members report to the briefing room. All ground team members report to the briefing room."**

Garrus and I stood up and headed for the briefing room.

"Time to go to work then," I said.

Everyone was there, including Liara. Figured. A Prothean expert would be huge help if we find any artifacts that would be Prothean. Once everyone was seated, Eden went to the screen behind her and turned it on, revealing a planet.

"This is the planet Feros. A human colony known for the Prothean metropolis that covers the city. And it also is home to an ExoGeni scientific research building."

I mentally scoffed. Research my ass.

"Two days ago the Alliance lost contact with the colony. We are being sent to investigate. If it is a Geth attack, then we must be ready for anything. There is a colony, Zhu's Hope. We will land there and try to make contact with the colony. Any questions?"

"What should we expect when we get there?" asked Liara. Oh you know, Geth, crazed researchers, wild Varren, oh and I hear the local flora is FUCKING KILLER. Sometimes, I wish I could just say what I know and spoil it, but there is no fun in that.

"Well if the colony hasn't been checking in, assume hostilities. My guess may be either pirates or, and I hate to say it, Geth," said Kaiden. After that there weren't any more questions and we all went to gear up. I didn't have armor this time, so I wore my "work" attire. Which was mainly putting on my jacket. I strapped my weapons, making sure each was loaded, and that I had full clips, and then strapped my knife to my belt and headed for the air lock.

As the team waiting Liara looked at me curiously. "Why aren't you wearing armor Spade?" she asked. I had my helmet on so she could see my face, but I smirked. I activated my omnitool, and then my Tech Armor. My body was wrapped with golden holographic armor. Her eyes widened a little, probably from never seeing something like that before. I, and surprisingly Wrex, chuckled.

Once the airlock opened, we all cautiously stepped outside. I saw a colonist come up to Eden, telling her about the colony. Oh shit I remember-

"_AHHHHH-" _The colonist screamed, getting hit by a fierce Carnage slug.

"Geth!" yelled someone, probably Tali. I took cover, taking out Sicarius. Everyone did the same, taking out their own weapons and returning fire. Timing my shots, and picking off any troopers that came to my line of site. One, down a trooper. Two, sniper down. Three, four, five.

"Move!" Yelled Eden. The cost was clear for now. I switched to my Hurricane and we carefully headed towards the buildings. We all had each other's back. We would run into a small patrol, only to be taking out by our guns.

It took a good hour till we cleared a path to the colony, but we were all relived to get there. The only thing that still kept us on edge? The colonists themselves. The Thorian was controlling, or trying to, but it would of unnerved me even if I didn't know what was going on. Everyone looked spaced out, almost like worker ants. Being cautious, I took off my helmet and hid it in my jacket. Can't have colonists going insane cause of the helmet.

Shepard gave us the order to spread out and secure a perimeter, and that everyone should at least be in a group. Liara and Wrex went with Kaiden. Garrus and Tali went with Ashley, meaning that I would go with Shepard, under her orders of course. I followed behind, not really paying attention.

I kept watch on the colonists. They would send glances, but either than that, they would just idly walk by in their own little world. Or, I guess the Thorian's world. I wished I could say something about the Thorian but then again, explaining myself didn't really sound like a good idea.

I heard Shepard and Fai Dan talking about the problems the colony was facing. Power, food, medical supplies, everything they needed. Geth attacking the colony at random times. Looking around, these people have it rough.

"And then there are the mercenaries." Mercenaries? That wasn't in the game. This time, I made sure to pay attention.

"What kind of mercenaries are we talking about?" asked Shepard.

"Not sure, but they have been causing trouble for us ever since the Geth showed up." This is interesting. Shepard had a look, like she suspected the mercs to be allied with the Geth. Probably right. Fai Dan excused himself and left Shepard and I to ourselves.

"You got all that Adrian?"

"Yeah. No power, not enough supplies, and Geth patrols. I got all of that, but what interests me is a group of mercenaries being here." She nodded.

"Your an expert with mercenaries. You think they are allied with the Geth?" That caused me to chuckle.

"I don't know about expert, but if I had to guess. With the right pay, they could be working with the Geth, or they could just be freelancers. There is only one way I can possibly find out though."

One of her eyebrows raised and she gave me a questionable look. I was suggesting on going by myself, and it may be easier. Plus if the Geth attack the colony she may need everyone here.

"Look, I know it may sound crazy but I've worked with mercenaries before. Plus, if the Geth attack the colony again you may need almost everyone here."

"Yeah, everyone. Meaning I may need you and your tech abilities."

"Come on Eden. You and I both know the only real tech ability you need is Overload, and you have three members of the squad that know how to do it."

Arms crossed, she gave me a disagreeing look. However, she eventually sighed and nodded.

"Fine, but the second you are in trouble you better call for back up." I started walking backward, chuckling.

"Didn't think you worried Commander. Don't worry, it should be easy. I'll be back before dinner."

Fai Dan pointed in the direction of where the mercenaries have been coming from. I took off in that direction, putting my helmet back on. I was about twenty minutes out when I started finding tale-tell signs of battle. Scorch marks, dried blood, and spent clips on the floors. This was probably the after math of the initial Geth attack. Looking for any sign of mercenaries was difficult, however I eventually found something interesting. Dried blue blood; Turian blood. Judging by the small amount, this Turian was wounded. Could be one of the mercenaries that got lucky.

I got up, about to go further into the tower, until I heard a pistol unfold behind me. Oh shit.

"Hello Spade." That voice. Turian. Female. No... It can't be. I slowly turned, and my eyes met piercing green eyes.

" Ieris." She was wearing Turian armor fitted for females. The coloration was white with a red pattern. She had green face paint on, matching her eyes. She held a Predator pistol towards my face.

"Never thought I would see you again Spade, or is it Adrian?"

"Come on Ieris. You and I both know things wouldn't work out." She chuckled, and shook her head. When I met her, she was pretty much an innocent young woman, not some mercenary. "What are you doing here Ieris?"

"Working of course. After you dumped me, I joined up with my brothers gang. They're here if you want to met them." Sure enough, four more figures wearing the same coloration on their armor appeared behind me. There was a Turian, a Batarian, a Drell, and a Human. The Turian had the same face paint pattern and color Ieris had. "Adrian. This is my brother Zace. He was very eager to meet you." Her tone was sadistic. This wasn't the girl I dated those few years ago.

Zace, the male Turian walked up to me, with a Turian smirk on his face. At least it looked like a smirk. "So you are the infamous Spade. I heard many great things about you. I would invite you to join our little family, but a certain employer is disappointed." What employer? "Saren wasn't too happy when he found out you killed the assassins he hired. He put a large hit on your head." Oh, that employer. Zace started to circle me as if he was a vulture and I was a dying animal. "I would love to kill you right now where you stand, but that would be too easy. So, how about a little challenge?"

I raised a brow. "What kind of challenge?"

He chuckled. I hardly knew a thing about Turian vocals, but it was pretty easy that his tone was sinister. "It's simple. Saren was kind enough to allow me a battalion of Geth troopers under my command. I will order them and my family to kill you. All you have to do is survive."

He started to back away from me, and his little pose followed. Ieris was smiling the entire time. What happened to her? Could she be Indoctrinated? No... This felt more personal than what a Reaper would want.

"One more thing. If you call for help, I'll make sure to kill everyone after I'm finished with you. And maybe I'll have my way with that Human Commander of yours."

Oh hell no! I activated my omnitool and launched a Incineration Tech towards Zace. Unfortunately he dodged. His group took off, and I perused only to run into a group of Geth.

"Shit!" They started firing and I barely had time to dodge the flurry of bullets. Activating my Tech armor, I took out my Hurricane and loaded a fresh clip. I charged an Overload, peeked from my cover to see a Geth heading towards me, and quickly launched the surge of electricity into the Synthetic. It quickly dropped, however, his friends weren't too happy about it. They advanced, shooting at my direction.

"Don't worry I said. It should be easy I said. Damn me and my big mouth!"

I could hear the clicks of a Geth getting closer. Aiming the Hurricane I took a few steps back. Time seemed to slow as a small group of Geth troopers rounded the corner. I could feel my body tense as I pulled the trigger. A barrage of bullets flew and made their mark on the three Geth troopers. The one in front was immediately dropped, and another soon after. The final one was close to being dropped but it still staggered. I quickly tried to reload, however, the Geth managed to get some shots at me. Luckily my Tech Armor took the brunt, but a bullet managed to clip my shooting arm, causing me to drop my SMG. Out of adrenaline and rage, I quickly shot a Overload, finishing the Geth.

My arm was numb from the shot, and I cursed myself for not having any medigel. With my good arm I picked up my SMG. I was about to load a fresh clip until I heard footsteps running behind me. I quickly turned with my omnitool ready, only to see both Garrus and Eden run up to me.

"Adrian! The colony is under attack and-" She saw the three Geth corpses and then noticed my wounded arm. "My god... What happened?" She turned on her omnitool and readied a dose of medigel.

"Nothing I couldn't handle. I think..." She applied the medigel and a hot stinging sensation coursed through my arm.

"Fuck! That stings!"

"Stop being a cry baby and be a man." That got a chuckled from Garrus.

"Laugh it up Garrus," I said. After a few seconds, the stinging numbed away, and my arm was back in fighting condition. Of course I will still need to see the Doctor, but at least I can fight.

"Alright, know that is finished, we need to get to the colony."

"No can do Shepard." She turned on her heel to face me. She looked angry.

"What?"

"Listen. These mercenaries aren't freelancers. They are working for Saren, and have a battalion of Geth at their disposal. If we let them go, they will come back and with more Geth. I won't let that happen." Her face was disapproving, yet her eyes were contemplative. She didn't know what to say. I was about to further the argument until I heard an explosion coming from behind me. Strange. That was in the direction Ieris and her group took off to. "If I have to do this on my own then fine." I turned, about to take off, until Eden grabbed my hand. Now that caused me to stop. Both our hands were enveloped in a light blue flame. I was use to Tiffany and other Biotics accidently grazing my skin and causing a flare, but this. This was different. I couldn't explain it but it was soothing.

"Alenko. We ran into some Geth while heading towards Spade. Garrus and I will assist him. You are in charge. Copy?"

I couldn't hear what Kaidan was saying, but by the looks of it he acknowledged. Eden finished her transmission and looked at me. She couldn't see my face, but I was blushing.

"Come on, let's go get those mercenaries." She said. She let go of my hand, and started moving out. I could feel the Biotics dissipating from my hand. I looked at my hand for a moment, but then went back to work mode. Garrus and I caught up to Eden, who was crouched behind a fallen pillar. She was looking at something, perplexed. Checking to see what she was looking at, I noticed the Geth were acting strange. For a second they looked like they were searching for something. That was strange. A second ago they were hunting me. Now it was like they were hunting something else.

"What do you think they are doing?" asked Garrus. Eden shrugged and looked at me as if I knew the answer. I'm an assassin, not a scientist. I was about to answer until I noticed the Geth pointing their rifles upward, and started shooting at something. I looked up and could see the Drell freerunning and dodging bullets.

"The hell?" I said without even thinking. Eden and Garrus looked up and saw the Drell. The Drell was frantically trying to survive, but he started making mistakes. And by the looks of it he was getting tired. It was only a moment of time until he will get shot, and probably fall to his death. Sure enough he was clipped. He screamed as he fell to the ground. I turned away when he hit the ground. Being a freerunner myself, seeing someone fall to their deaths was still something I couldn't get my head around. Hell, that could be me.

The few Geth troopers that were their went to go check on the body. This was the right moment to strike. Eden and I took out our Hurricane's and Garrus readied his Phaston. Eden signaled that on three we will attack. I readied an Overload, waiting for the signal. Once Eden gave the signal we burst into action. Garrus and I fired an Overload taking down two Geth troopers. Eden sent out a Throw field, tossing a Geth like a ragdoll. A second after we fired a barrage of bullets at the remaining three Geth, instantly dropping them. We reloaded our weapons, and were about to head out further into the tower, until I heard coughing coming from behind some rubble.

"The Drell. He is alive," said Garrus. I jogged to the Drell. With a quick scan from my HUD and I could tell that he didn't have much time. I knelt beside him. His armor had the similar red and white design Zace and Ieris had. He had a recon hood over his head.

"Why are the Geth after you?" I asked. He coughed. It was only a matter of time. He coughed and weezed.

"Ieris and Zace... Made a deal with Saren... Something about making them Generals in his army..." He coughed again. "They turned the... Geth on us. They are going to kill everyone..."

After that, they Drell's vitals faded, and he was dead. I stood up and walked back to Eden and Garrus. Garrus that look on his face. Well I assumed a look. I can't really tell with Turians.

"That name sounds familiar Adrian," he said. Eden raised a brow.

"What do you mean Garrus?" asked Eden. I knew exactly what he was talking about.

"He is talking about the name the Drell mentioned. Ieris." I paused for a moment. "She is my ex."

Eden's jaw dropped. "What?!" Here we go.

"She's a Turian I dated back when I was working in Illium. She is a Tech expert, and pretty damn good at hand to hand combat. Designed the Omnitool I'm using right know. She is dangerous, and if she is working with Saren, then she has to be stopped."

Eden and Garrus looked at me for a moment. Eden took a step towards me. "Hold on. You dated a Turian?"

Okay, so there are moments in my life where I truly face palm. This is one of those moments.

"Out of all that, you just get the fact that I dated a Turian?! I-" I paused, and took a breath. "Yes. I dated a Turian for a short while, but I ended it. Full stop. Anything else?"

Now it was Garrus's turn. "What was it like when you two... Uhh... Well you know?"

"Seriously!? We are not having this conversation while god knows how many Geth are around trying to kill us, and with two crazed mercenaries leading them. Can we PLEASE just finish this?"

Eden started to laugh.

"Oh, you and I are going to talk after this is finished." I sighed heavily and palmed my helmet.

"Great... Let's just go."

The next ten minutes were hell. As soon as we took off, we ran into Geth forces and have been fighting since then. There would be a moment where we would have a small rest, but then we would be attacked. The one thing that really got me though was how frequently we were running into Geth. Back on Therum, if I remembered correctly, they were more organized. Here their movements were more random. I guess it could be that they are also hunting the mercenaries. Speaking of which, we haven't seen any of them. The Drell is dead, however there was still a Batarian and a Human. They could be dead, but since the Geth's movements say otherwise, I'm keeping a look out.

"Adrian! Geth sniper on the platform!" yelled Eden. I reacted quickly and instinctively. I had my Sicarius rifle out, and quickly aimed and fired. A red Geth fell to the ground. Well, that's one less to worry about.

"I think that is all of them, so far," said Garrus. I sighed in relief. Even if this would be for a few moments, and time of rest would be great for all of us. Especially Eden. She has been using her biotic's as soon as the fighting broke out. I know she is strong and all, but even she has her limits. Looking at her, I could tell she was tired. She sat behind a large piece of rubble, leaned back, and breathing hard. Reaching into one of my pockets, I took out a ration bar made for biotic soldiers when they need a boost.

"Eat this. It will give you an extra boost." She looked at me for a moment, and small smile playing her lips. She took the bar.

"Didn't think you would carry energy bars specifically made for biotics." She chuckled, and started nibbling. That caused me to chuckled, which sounds weird when I'm wearing my helmet.

"Yeah, well. I've worked with Biotic's before, and I know how ya'll burn energy quickly. That, and never hurts to be prepared." She smiled and continued to nibble on the energy bar. As for myself, my HUD blipped. Checking, I was picking up and odd sound coming from the direction where the Geth were.

"Strange..." I mumbled. Garrus heard me.

"What is it? Do you see something?" I shook my head.

"No... I'm picking up a strange noise. It's coming from that direction, where the mercenaries camp could be. However, this is close by..." I paused to listen to the noise. I know I heard it before somewhere, but what is it? It was a clicking sound, almost as if something was winding. The sound slowly started to slow down, as if coming to a stop? Wait a second. Shit, I know what it is!

"Get down!" As soon as I yelled, we all heard a shot fired. I and Garrus quickly ducked behind cover, and Eden brought her SMG out. A loud whistle flew by, and we could hear something hit the wall behind us. We all looked and saw a large metal rod sticking out of the wall.

"Kishock Harpoon Gun... I think one of the mercenaries found us."

"One of the mercenaries is a Batarian?" asked Eden. For a second, I could hear the hatred in her tone. That's right... She was a survivor from Mindior.

"Yeah... However, I didn't get a good look at his weapons. If I had known he had a Kishock, I wouldn't have lead us into an open area."

"I don't think I've seen a Kishock rifle before," said Garrus.

"They are powerful sniper rifles that fire a harpoon. I've never had a sniper battle with one before, but I have seen the damage this weapon can cause. Let's just say it isn't pretty."

"You would think whoever is shooting at us would want to team up." I scoffed.

"I know how these mercenaries work. The minute they hear a chance at some credits they will take it. And with the bounty on my head, they wouldn't hesitate."

I noticed a look from Eden, but I didn't bother to look. Right now, my main concern is killing the Batarian and clearing this tower out. As hard as that sounds, I have to do it. Just one step at a time. Another shot was fired and a second rod stuck to the wall. I heard Garrus curse and take out his Mantis. Damn this Batarian, I know exactly what he is doing.

"He is trying to lure us..." Garrus and Eden looked at me with a cautious and confused look. I sighed. "It is a hunting technique, mostly bird hunters use it but big game hunters can use it as well. Basically, you fire a random shot and wait to see if your target will react. Most of the time it works, and you have a window to take a shot."

"Sounds like you are familiar with this," said Eden.

"I use to hunt before I became an Assassin. That, and I used it with work." After that I tuned out anything else said. Sure, you can classify me as a bad guy back then, hell I still think I am. However, I am willing to change. It just takes time.

I peeked out of cover, trying to spot where the Batarian may be posted. The layout looked like a long hallway, with crumbling walls. At the end of the hallway, I could see a platform where he could possibly be at. The only thing was getting a shot to see if actually was there. There was one trick I could use.

"Okay. At the end of this hallway, there is a platform. He may be posted there, but I can't tell unless I see him move. However, I may have an idea, but it's risky." Eden nodded for me to continue. She looked pissed. Either it's because she is tired, or something else entirely. "World War II, Stalingrad, Russia. Vassili Zaitsev, probably one of Earth's most famous snipers, next to Carlos Hathcock. One trick Zaitsev would use against German snipers would be posting a helmet a few feet in front of him as a decoy. The other sniper would fire at the helmet, giving away his position, and allowing Zaitsev a shot. It was pretty clever. Not only that but-"

My HUD blipped. "Hold up. I'm picking something up. Electrical signatures..." Next thing I knew, rapid fire gunshots were being fired. I looked out and saw the signature blue plasma bullets flying by. And then, the Batarian sniper. So he was hiding at the same level as we were... Clever bastard. "Geth troopers. We got to move." I saw a Geth trooper come into view. I quickly aimed with my Sicarius and fired, taking out the trooper.

The three of us moved from cover. Garrus and I switched weapons. He to his Phaeston, and I back to my Hurricane. Eden switched to her Crusader. We carefully moved forward. So far so good, until we saw a Geth fly back with a harpoon stuck to its chest. Guess the Batarian is still-

"Help!" Never mind...

We rushed over to see the Batarian pinned by two Geth troopers and a Geth hunter. Easy. Garrus and I both shot of an Overload tech, taking out the Geth troopers. Eden fired her Crusader, which depleted the Hunters shield tremendously. Garrus and I followed suit and peppered the Geth. Within seconds the Hunter was down. We all reloaded our clips, and I walked towards the Batarian. He was wounded, and it looked bad. He was riddled with bullet holes and burns. This would be the second mercenary that died before me, that I didn't kill.

His breathing was raspy. His four eyes looked at me with hate.

"You got lucky... If not for Zace and his damn Geth... I would've... would-" He gargled on blood and his body went limp.

"Come on. That's two down. Aside from Zace and Ieris, there should be one more."

After we left the Batarian, we ran into more Geth. However, there wasn't as many as before, so it was easy. Eventually we ended up finding two separate paths.

"Well, which way?" asked Garrus.

"I hate to say it, but we should split up. Scans read that they both lead to the same area. You both can go in that direction and I will go this way," I said. Eden jumped on that.

"No way. We are not splitting up."

"Don't worry Eden, I'll be fine-"

"Fine?! You were almost killed the last time you said that!"

"I was caught off guard!

"That's hardly an excuse Adrian! I could've lost a friend at that moment, and I don't want to face that chance again!"

Now that stopped me. Stopped both of us really. This was the first time anyone in the team actually acknowledged me as a friend. And the fact that it was Eden who said it felt even better. She herself looked surprised by her outburst. I walked up to her and placed my hand on her shoulder. That cool feeling came back, and my hand glowed. Then I thought of something that may help reassure her. I took off my father's dog tags, and gave them to her.

"Here, take this as a promise. A promise that I'll be back." She looked at the tags then back at me. I could tell she was conflicted. She took a breath, and then took the tags. She wrapped them around her wrist and hand. She pinned the tags between the chain and her armor so they wouldn't be in her way.

"You better come back alive. Or... or I'll kick your ass!" I chuckled.

"Noted Commander."

I walked towards the entrance, checking my weapons. Load a clip there, weapons check here. Check my shields, and activated my Tech Armor. I was good to go. I looked at Eden and Garrus. Eden nodded, and I sent one back. Then took off.

So far things were quiet. My HUD so far was clear. I had my Hurricane out, and checked every corner.

"_How are things going Adrian?" _Shepard's voice popped in my helmet. I couldn't help but smile and shake my head.

"Everything is fine Eden. No need to wor-" My shields started to flicker, and the next thing I knew they were gone. I quickly moved to cover, my adrenaline pumping. I checked out of cover, and saw the last mercenary. He had an Avenger rifle, and was aiming right towards my position. Well so much for trying to recruit him. I was in a bad position.

"_Adrian?! What's going!?"_ Eden yelled in my HUD. Before I could answer another barrage of bullets ran past my position. I readied my Hurricane, just in case the mercenary grew a pair and tried to make this a face to face fight.

"Oh. You know Eden. Business as usual."

"_Don't joke around Adrian! We may have run into your friend Zace, and we could use some back up!". _I could hear the sound of guns being fired. Damnit, this isn't good. Eden, and I'm pretty sure Garrus as well, were fatigued. Hell, I was too. This fight needs to finish, and fast. I peaked from cover, and I could see the mercenary waiting for me to make a mistake. A mistake I would have to do intentionally.

I checked my shields and my Tech armor. Everything was green, however, my shield was malfunctioning. Shit. Looks like even Nalik's devices have an experation date. I took a couple of breathes. This, could have been one of the most stupidest things I've would of done. Well, there was that one time at Illium that involved a bet and a Krogan, but that is a totally different subject.

After a few seconds, I took off in a sprint. The mercenary started shooting, and I responded by shooting a Cryo Blast. The blast missed, hitting the wall, but it caused an nice little ice explosion making the merc duck. I quickened my pace, closing the distance between us. He come out of cover, and I started spraying bullets to make him duck. The only way I could kill this guy is if I can get close enough for my SMG to actually have a killing effect.

Once I was close enough I fired the rest of my clip, depleting his shields. He staggered, and I quickly switched weapons to my Phalanx. However, he recovered a lot more quickly than I thought he would. He aimed, and I aimed, and we both fired. My shot hit him square on the head, killing him. And his shot punched through my shoulder. I was sure it hurt like hell, but my adrenaline was pumping.

Checking the schematics of the area, I took off to where Eden and Garrus were. As I got closer I could hear the sounds of a gun fight. I tried to quicken my pace, but my shoulder was starting to be a burden. Still, I wouldn't let it stop me.

As I got closer, I could see Garrus and Eden firing shots towards Geth. And standing behind his "troops", Zace was leading his attack. The next few moments were a blur. I ran towards Zace, omnitool activating. I ran up a small ramp and jumped.

"Zace!" I yelled. The Turian turned, and his face was in shock. At least, I think it was. I fired a large Incineration Tech towards him, my shoulder burning. The Tech made its mark, igniting Zace on fire. He screamed and started flanging his arms around, trying to put the fires out.

"Garrus! Fire a Concussive shot at Zace! Now!" I ordered. Garrus quickly reacted, and fired a Concussive shot towards Zace. Time seemed to slow for me at the moment. The shot flew through the air, and when the shot hit Zace, the chain reaction followed. There was a large fire explosion, that took out some Geth that were around Zace. When the smoke cleared, I could see the lifeless charred body of Zace. That was one less bounty hunter I had to worry about.

"Adrian!" I turned to see a Ieris aiming at me with her omnitool. I reacted by activating mine. However, she was one step ahead of me. She fired a fierce Overload at me. My wrist started to singe as my omnitool was overloaded. My helmet also started to malfunction, and I couldn't see or hear anything except white noise. Luckily, my helmet run's on its own power, and eventually the V.I system finally rebooted itself.

Once I could see, I looked up, only to see Ieris tackling me. I tried to fight her, but due to lose of blood and fatigue, I was no match for her. She fired another Overload, causing me to drop to the ground. My body twitched due to the electric shock. My wrist burned due to my omnitool. Ieris walked up to me, a Predator pistol in her hand.

"Well well. Look who is on his back again. Except, this time you are going to die." Her voice was sickening, almost sadistic. This wasn't the girl I was with back on Illium. No, that girl died and was replace by this monster.

Ieris aimed her pistol at my head. So that's it? No words to be said to take to my grave? Well that-

"You know Spade. After I'm done with you, I'm going to take your friend Shepard. But I'm not going to kill her. No, that would be too easy. Torture would be much more fun. And then when I'm done with her, I'm going to give her to Saren. I'm sure he has plenty in store for her." She started to chuckle. Bitch.

"You want to know why I really left you Ieris?" I said. She glared at me.

"What makes you think I care." I smirked under my helmet.

"You talk too much." While she was doing her lame excuse of a villainous monologue, I readied my Phalanx pistol. Like with the human merc, Ieris and I aimed our pistols at each other and fired.

Eden POV

I was trying my hardest to get to Adrian. There were a few Geth left, but just enough to keep myself and Garrus busy. When I saw the female Turian fire an Overload at Adrian, my adrenaline and heart were racing. Adrian was hit again, and he fell to the ground. I cursed as I took down another Geth with my shotgun. The Turian, Ieris I believe, was now standing over him. She was talking to him, but what she was saying, I couldn't tell.

I wanted so hard to use my biotics, but I was spent. My energy was drained and I was running on empty. Another Geth came at me, and I quickly took it down. Garrus was doing well with covering, and picking off the rest as I made my way to Adrian.

Ieris pointed her gun at him, only making my steps go faster. At least I believed. I felt like I was in a nightmare. The ones were you try to run to someone or something, only to have your legs not work. That was happening to me. I wanted to scream, but my throat burned.

_Bang!_

I stopped at the sound of a gunshot. Looking at Ieris and Adrian, and prayed that Adrian was the one who fired the shot. Both their pistols aimed at each other. And then I saw it. Ieris brought her hand to her neck. She dropped her pistol and took a few steps back, before she fell to the ground. She stopped moving, and I could tell she was dead. I smiled and looked at Adrian, imagining him standing up, taking off his helmet and a smile on his face.

But he didn't. His pistol was still aimed where Ieris was. He still laid on the ground.

"Adrian?" I asked. He didn't move. His pistol fell from his hand, and his arm dropped.

"Adrian!" I ran, not caring if there were anymore Geth around. I slid to him, and I finally realized that he was injured. He had one injury on his arm, and another on his chest. I felt for a pulse, and he barely had a beat. Garrus ran towards us, answering my concern that there weren't any Geth left.

"Garrus! Contact Kaiden and tell them we need a med evac! Hurry!" Garrus nodded, and proceeded with contact the others. I went back to helping as much as I can without causing further injury. I took off his helmet so he can breathe. When the helmet was off he started coughing up blood and trying to get air at the same time. Either he had internal bleeding, or the shot punctured his lung. I clenched my eyes shut.

Damn you Adrian. Damn you for being so reckless. And for what? I'm the commander, I should be sacrificing myself for my troops, not the other way around. And yet, Adrian is the one who came in running, risking everything. Why? Why would he do that? Was it because of me? No. He would risk his life for anyone, right?

I shook my head. These thoughts weren't going to keep him alive. I looked at my hand, and I could see his father's dog tags. He made me carry them as a promise that he will be okay and come back. The tags had blood on them. I couldn't tell if it was mine or his. His coughing stopped, but his breathing was labored. He tried to move, but he was too weak to do to much. He was only able to pick up his hand for a moment, until it dropped on mine. Even though I was practically drained, my biotic's flared. It was strange how his burning would cause something like that. It felt cool, almost soothing. I couldn't explain it, but it felt calming somehow.

I wrapped my hand around his, hoping he would feel my strength and try to live a little longer.

"Kaiden and the others are on their way with a medical team," said Garrus. I nodded, not keeping my gaze away from Adrian.

"Hang in there Adrian," I whispered. I remembered what he said after Therum. About us talking whenever we had the chance. "You better survive this. We have to talk."

That was all I could say the remainder of the day. Kaiden would try to comfort me, Laira as well. But I ignored it. I just didn't feel like talking.

* * *

**Holy FanFiction Batman! Adrian got shot! :O**

**Don't worry, Adrian will not die. I'll tell you that right now. Spade is the beginning of the Adrian Dawn arc you know. *hint hint*. Anyway, no he will not die. This is just a door opening that will further character progression and some relationship stuff (if you are a true fan of Spade you would know who I mean). **

**Also, If you followed this story and waited calmly and patiently, then I would love to thank you personally. Honestly, the only reason I came back was because I found out that people still cared about Adrian, Eden, and Spade, and wanted to find out more. I care, but it works both ways. So to those loyal Spade fans I thank you, and to those new fans, welcome! Keep on reviewing, loving, and reading. And not just my story, but everyones. I'm sure there are other authors such as my self who love it when they know that readers like you love our hard work. And it keeps us to keep on writing and further develop our skills in writing and literature. So, I'll say it again **

**Thank You!**

**KD**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello everyone, and welcome to the next chapter of Mass Effect: Spade. I would've had this on Sunday, however, I was having laptop and internet troubles and there for could not post anything until today. Anyway, with out further delay, enjoy!**

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Chapter 9 : Hell of a Headache.

Adrian POV

**Omega. Five years before Eden Prime.**

_I was standing outside Afterlife. Waiting. I finally finished my training with Reina and Kadick. My skills are more fine, and my senses sharper. Honestly, best two years of my life. Yeah, it was hard adjusting to being in an alternate universe, but I managed. I'm just glad I have a translator and not have to learn the different languages of the galaxy. I failed Spanish in high school so a language that isn't Human? Forget about it._

_Now, what was I waiting for? Oh yeah, Nalik. The Salarian told me to meet him outside the club for something "important". "Organization business" he would say. And that is one thing that bothers me. What Organization do I work for? They have to be loaded if they can teleport me from a different universe. But who the fuck are they? Can't be the Shadow Broker, or I would be sold for the information I have. And Cerberus is out of the question in due part that majority of the people I've worked with so far are alien._

_"Adrian." I turned at the high pitched voice. There's Nalik, right on schedule, as always. The little Salarian walked up to me and we shook hands. Over the two years, he has trained me with everything Tech in Mass Effect, and also getting to know and understand different cultures and customs. That and the Salarian and I have become somewhat good friends. I don't trust him completely on the count that he electrocuted me to get here. Slimy bastard._

_"Nalik. Good to see you," I said with a grin. I didn't have my helmet on, everyone would just look at me weird. "So what is this "Important Thing" you wanted to tell me," I asked. _

_Nalik looked around, as if someone may hear what we will say, or was watching us. Really Nalik? It's Omega, everyone watches everyone because either they were paid too, or they are just freaky that way. Take your pick. _

_Nalik leaned forward a little. "Can't say here. Come with me." And just like that we left the area. We walked through the market place for a while, then entered a residential area. I wasn't saying much, on the count of that we could easily get jumped here, and that didn't sit well with me._

_"How was your training Adrian?" Nalik asked, breaking the little silence we had. I shrugged, trying to play it cool. _

_"It was alright. Tough as hell, but worth it in the end." Nalik nodded._

_"You believe that you are ready to fight alongside Shepard?" _

_"Honestly, I don't think anything can prepare me for something like the Reapers Nalik," I said in a serious tone. It was true. Not even Shepard was prepared for it. No one will be prepared for it, not matter how many years of training. Nalik seemed to have taking the hint well, and he looked down. He, Reina and Kadick were scared, that was for sure. I told them what happened in the trilogy, and they didn't like it. Although, there really wasn't anything they could possibly do._

_"Alright, seriously, where are you taking me?" I asked Nalik._

_"We are going to meet with your teammates." That stopped me._

_"Hold on. What do you mean by team?" Nalik just smiled and didn't answer. "Nalik. I thought I was teaming up with Shepard. You never said anything about me joining some posse." _

_"Consider this as practice. Besides, you are going to need something to do before you join Shepard." I sighed. I see his point. What can I possibly do for the remainder of my time? Oh I don't know… Maybe ACTUALLY ENJOY MY TIME HERE!_

_The next thing I knew we were entering an apartment. I didn't know if I should put my helmet on or not, seeing is how I was about to meet people I've never met. It got me wondering though. Could they possibly be like me?_

_"Nalik. Before we meet them I have to ask. Are they….You know?" I motioned at myself. He looked at me for a moment, getting a grasp at my question. He shook his head._

_"No, they are part of this universe. It took a lot of energy and money to get you here. I don't think it would work a second time." I see. So I am the only one from my universe._

_We walked in to the main room, and I could see three other humans. They all were geared up with armor and weapons. I wasn't, well not really. I had my helmet folded and tucked in my jacket, and I had my pistol, but that was it. There were two male and one female. One guy was wearing what looked like James Vega's armor from ME3. He had a blonde hair which was extremely short. From what I could tell, he was a soldier class. Avenger rifle, a Katana shotgun, and a Predator._

_The other guy looked like from oriental decent. He was shorter than myself, and had black hair. His armor looked like a Sentinel's armor minus the Recon Hood. His weapons were an SMG and a pistol. Now as for the girl. She was similar height than the last guy. She had light brown hair kept in a ponytail. Her armor was like what Kasumi would wear, just no hood. She had similar weapons from the Oriental guy._

_"Everyone, this is Adrian Dawn. He will be joining you today," said Nalik. I just crossed my arms and looked at the three. The soldier walked up. Guess he is the leader._

_"Where is your armor?" he asked. His voice was deep, which I expected. As for the question, I activated my omnitool and turned on my Tech Armor. He looked at it for a moment, then nodded. "That'll do." _

_"I wasn't asking for your approval," I said. _

_"Excuse me?" He walked right into my face, trying to be intimidating. Have to try harder than that. "You want to say that again hotshot?"_

_"I said, I wasn't asking for your approval. And, next time you get into someone's face, check for any dangers." I nodded down, and he looked to see my pistol aiming right for his gut. He looked at me for a moment, then started to laugh, but not in a mocking way._

_"You and I are going to be quick friends that is for sure. Nalik said something about you being unpredictable. I'm Robert. Robert Peers." He extended a hand. I kept my pistol in hand, but shook his hand._

_"Adrian Dawn." He smiled for a bit, then took a few steps back. I holstered my pistol. The girl shifted for a moment._

_"That accent. Where are you from?" she asked. This time I smiled._

_"New Orleans, Louisiana." She smiled at that. _

_"Really? I'm from Baton Rouge." That caused me to widen my smile._

_"You don't say? Cajun or Creole?"_

_"Cajun of course."_

_"Blues or Jazz?_

_"Blues." Okay, this last one is important, and she better get it._

_"Saints?"_

_"Who dat?!" I laughed. _

_"Thank you lord! May I please have a name?!" She stared to laugh as well._

_"Stephanie Theriot. Pleasure to meet you Adrian Dawn." _

_After our little greeting, the shorter guy next to Robert walked up to me._

_"I'm Shun Akinawa. It is an honor to meet you." He bowed in greeting. I chuckled._

_"I don't know about honor, but good to meet ya." _

_Nalik cleared his throat to get our attention. We gathered around and looked at him._

_"Well, glad to see introductions are out of the way. Now, the Organization and I are pleased to have you all be a part of us. You will be our agents on the field, and when we call to you, you will be there to answer. No matter the mission. You will be known as Theta squad, which means you will all be part of the same team from here on. Get to know each other and trust in each other."_

_He took a breath, and smiled at us. "I can see great things from you all. Make me and your trainers proud."_

**Omega. Four year before Eden Prime and Adrian meeting Eden.**

_"Adrian! Take down that sniper!" yelled Robert. I responded quickly, aiming my sniper rifle and taking down my target. It has been a year since we all got together as a group. I was the Infiltrator of the group. Robert was the soldier, Steph the Adept, and Shun was the Sentinal. We were a well balanced team, and all good friends. Over the year we have all grown stronger together, as cliché as that sounds. We were all Earthborn. I and Stephanie from Louisiana, Robert was born in England, but moved around. And Shun was from Japan. And get this, apparently the Organization has been around for a long time, since Robert was born into it. Who knew. The only thing they didn't know, was about me. How could I tell them? That the universe they knew could possibly be destroyed at anytime._

_Aside from Organization meetings, we were a group of mercenaries for hire. However, since I was trained to be an assassin, I had to do some jobs on my own. It worried Steph, but I told her I would be fine. I also picked up the name Spade, thanks to Nalik. _

_A storm of bullets ran past me, forcing me into cover. "I could use some help over here!" I yelled._

_"Shun! Steph! Give him so cover. Adrian! Make your way towards us, we are getting close to the objective!"_

_I waited until the bullets stopped ramming at my cover. I could hear biotics and screams, signaling for me to haul ass. My Tech armor was activated, and I switched to my Hurricane. I took off in a dead sprint towards my squad mates. _

_We were in a large building in upper Omega. Our objective was to hack into the buildings system and erase everything in the records. Apparently the mercenary group hold up in this shit hole were able to find information about the Organization, and we were ordered to delete it. I had no idea how a merc group was able to find info on a secret organization such as ours. Nalik said that someone went rogue, and that Reina and Kadick were dealing with it. _

_We were about two doors down from our objective, and so far we were advancing rather quickly. By the time I reached Robert, Steph fired a Singularity, which Shun unleashed a Warp field, causing a Biotic explosion. That gave us time to switch. I took Steph's place and Robert took Shun's. Now it was time for the non-biotics to go to work. _

_"Step aside babe, Big man needs to work." I said to Steph with a smirk, although she couldn't see it due to my helmet. She and I have grown… closer over the past couple of months. We weren't official, just some occasional flirting. She does care though. She hates it when I do solo jobs, and Robert told me that she didn't sleep for the day's I was gone (It was a tough job…). What made it show that we were "close" was one time I came back from a job injured. She freaked, and went to work patching me up. She scolded me for not being careful, and said that backup was always around. Robert and Shun left me to take the heat. Some friends right. After she patched me up, she asked me why I had to fight alone. My answer surprised her. I told her that I was an assassin, and that my targets had friends that would want me dead. I told her that I didn't want her to be a target for enemies. That she was too special for me to have that happen and that in order to protect her, I did my job solo. We ended that night in her bed. With sighs, moans, and satisfied smiles._

_ She flashed me a smirk, and flared a little. She knew I loved that a bit TOO much._

_"Ready Adrian? We are going to push them back, while Stephanie and Shun work on the door." I nodded. Robert gave the signal for three seconds. I readied my omnitool for a Incineration, and I could tell Robert was readying for a Carnage. It was our favorite combo. Stephanie and Shun could have the Biotics, but when it came to Tech powers, Robert and I were unstoppable. _

_He brought his hand down, and we went to work. Together, our combination of Carnage and Incineration caused a nice explosion. We charged towards the remaining mercs. Robert, with his newly bought Scimitar shotgun, and I with my SMG, we outmatched with mid to short range. While we were fighting I could hear Shun going to work on the door. Aside from me, he could hack through anything. There was even a moment where he hacked through Aria's network to get us some names for potential work. The guy was a hacking prodigy, I swear!_

_"Clear!" I heard Robert say. _

_"I got the door!" followed Robert. The door opened and inside were some computer terminals. Shun went to work at the main computer at the end of the room and started his hack._

_"We should hurry and finish this before reinforcements show up. I don't want to get stormed in a place like this," I said. Robert nodded in agreement, and ordered Stephanie and I to take positions just in case. _

_"So, you guys up for Afterlife after this? I'll buy," said Robert. That guy loves to drink. I smiled._

_"I'm down. A cool glass of whiskey should do me good. What do you think Steph?" I asked the Adept. She smiled, and nodded._

_"Sure, just as long as I don't have to play nurse when we get home." I mocked a whine._

_"But I love that game!" and that earned me a slap to the arm, and laugh from Robert and Shun._

_"What about you Shun?" asked Rob. He brought a finger up saying he was busy. I chuckled._

_"Nah, hacker here wouldn't join. He's to pure and honorable," I said. It was an inside joke with us. After our first completed job, we all went to the bar to celebrate the Omega way. Getting drunk. The only thing was that Shun didn't drink, saying that it was un-honorable to waste away in a bar and that would should reflect on the lives. I told him that whiskey was my way to remember the dead. Something I picked up from my dad. When he was home he would pop open a bottle of the best whiskey he could buy. He would say the names of falling comrades and buddies, taking a shot after every one. Some would say that it was a sign of PTSD. He said that it was the only way he knew how to remember them. I'm just keeping the tradition going._

_After that we fell silent, trying to listen out for any merc who thought they could take us on. The minutes felt like hours as Shun was working. It didn't fell right. It shouldn't take him this long to finish._

_"What's the holdup Shun?" asked Robert._

_"I'm making copies and downloading everything."_

_"What? Why?" _

_"This is our one chance to learn about the Organization. You even said it yourself that you wanted to know more about them, and this is our chance."_

_I remember that discussion, somewhat. We were all curious about this secretive organization we all worked for. Who were they? What is there purpose? Are we fighting for the right cause? Questions like that. Shun was extremely passionate to borderline obsessed with finding out more. We didn't really know anything about it. Even Robert didn't know that much, and he was born into it. I wanted to say that most of it was me joining Commander Shepard, but they would think I was crazy. Hell, I think Stephanie would think the same thing. I just laughed it off, and said they worried too much._

_As Shun was working away, my helmet was going off. The HUD was picking up massive heat spike in the room._

_"Hold up. I'm picking something up…" I double checked the scan, and sure enough, heat was rising pretty damn quickly. I activated my thermal scan to see where it was coming from. To my surprise it was coming from behind the main terminal Shun was. The hell? What could be causing that? My eyes widened when I realized. I got up and headed towards Shun._

_"Shun! Get away from tha-"_

_A large blast of fire exploded from Shun's position, launching me back. I was dazed, fading in and out. I tried to see what was going on, but there were only bright red blurs. I could hear people screaming. Stephanie? I couldn't tell. My vision slowly faded, but the last thing that would flash in my mind, was fire consuming Shun. _

**Present day. Normandy SR-1 medbay. 2100 ship time.**

I bolted upright, sweating and trying to catch my breath. Then a sharp pain ran through my chest and I went back down. I looked at myself, and I could see that my biotic burns started glowing. I panicked and tried to get up, only to feel a hand stop me. The hand didn't glow this time, and I looked up to see Doc. She was saying something, but I couldn't hear. My ears were ringing. I felt a prick on my arm, and turned to see Tiffany given me a dose of that serum. My body instantly started to cool itself, and after a few moments I was back to normal.

I slowed my breathing down, but my throat burned like hell. I slowly sat myself up, only to have a wicked headache. I groaned and brought my hand to my head, trying to rub the pain away. Doc handed me a glass of water, and I slowly started to drink. I could tell my throat was signing when the cool water flowed. Didn't help the headache though.

"How are you feeling Mr. Dawn?" asked Doc. I took a moment, moving my body trying to wake up. My shoulder, arm, and chest were sore. That's right, I was shot. Again.

"I'm alright. Sore and a nasty headache. How long have I been out?"

"About a week. You lost a lot of blood, and you were fatigued to the point of collapsing," Tiffany said. I looked down. A week? How much did I miss?

"I'm going to get the Commander, she ordered me to wake her once you did," Doc said, and she left the room.

"How are Garrus and Eden?" I asked.

"Garrus was completely exhausted and had to sit out for the remainder of the mission. However, he wasn't here for as long you were."

Remainder of the mission, huh? Guess that means we weren't on Feros anymore (Thank God).

"The Commander also suffered from exhaustion, but she went back on the field. She said she wouldn't rest until the mission was complete."

I chuckled, only to groan in response due to my head.

"Sounds like Eden," I said. Tiffany smiled.

"When we left Feros, she would come and visit you, only leaving to check on the crew or for a transmission from the Council. In fact, quite a few members came in to check on you. Tali and Garrus mostly. Wrex did come in once, but only, and I quote, 'To see your new battle wounds'."

I shook my head. I wasn't surprised why Wrex would come in. Garrus I figured cause we fought together. Tali was a surprise though.

"Why did Tali come in?"

"Well she was worried of course. That and she wanted to try and fix your omnitool since it was damaged." My eyes widened and I looked at my wrist. There was no omnitool, but a nasty scar in its place. Wrex is going to love this one. I think. The door to the medbay opened and Eden came walking in followed by Doc. She looked like crap. Her black hair which was usually straight at times, was know all over the place. Someone has a serious case of bed head. Her clothing suggested that she was indeed in bed. She wore a black tank top that had an N7 on it, and a pair of grey sweatpants that folded to her mid calf and a pair of black socks on her feet.

"Thank you. Doctor Chakwas, Smith. Go get some rest," Eden ordered. The two nodded and left the room, leaving me and Eden alone. I tried to sit up straight, and doing so I checked my chest, arm, and shoulder for any scars. Sure enough I had two circular scars from bullet wounds, and one line from when a bullet grazed me. Alright, not too bad. Eden pulled up a chair and sat next to my cot.

"Hey Adrian. How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Aside from being extremely sore and a terrible headache, I'm doing just great." She nodded.

"You had us worried. You lost a lot of blood before we could get you to the Normandy. And your burns flared on the way there which made it worse." I bit my tongue on that. I hated feeling like a burden, and my burns only made my case even worse.

"Sorry about that. Won't happen again." She frowned this time, and looked away. Okay, someone has something on their mind. "Something wrong?" I asked her.

She started messing with her thumbs, like she was trying to word whatever she was going to say. I just waited patiently. No need to rush her. She took a breath and looked at me. Did I ever mention that she had really Green eyes? They were amazing, that was for sure.

"This was the second time you risked your life for the team and get injured for it. Why?"

This time it was me that looked away. My face went emotionless. All the memories from before flashed into my head. Meeting my team, fighting together. Then seeing them all go. Shun being taking by that explosion. Robert and that damn Warp field. And Stephanie. I didn't even want to think about what happened to her. All could have been prevented. All of their deaths could have been stopped if I was careful. That is what causes me to act the way I do. Because I've lost what I could live for.

"Is it me?" A voice snapping me back to reality.

"What?" I asked, looking at Eden.

"Is it me? Do you feel like you have to protect me? Because from what I could see, all you have been doing is watching my back."

Well it is my mission to protect throughout this mission. But can I tell her that? No. I can't.

"Somewhat like that…" I mumble, looking away. She leaned forward a little so that I could see her. She wanted a better answer. Stubborn woman. She reminded me of Steph. I sighed. "Remember the team I told you about? The one before this." She nodded. "Let's just say that the nightmares I have is about them. And is a reason on why I do what I do."

It took her a moment to get it, but when she did her face dropped.

"I'm sorry…" I shrugged.

"Don't be. You didn't do anything wrong." We fell silent for a moment. I tried to forget the memories, but you know what they say. You can never forget it. No, a cool drink could help though. It always does.

...No it doesn't.

"Come on. You have been lying here for a week. You must be hungry." Now that I think about, I really was. And food sounded like a gift from the heavens.

Eden helped me up from my cot, and I thanked god for me wearing pants. That would be extremely embarrassing for both of us. I didn't realize how sore I was until I started walking. My legs didn't move for a week, so walking wasn't that easy. But sure enough, I was able to get to the mess table. Eden went to the kitchen area to grab me some food and something to drink. Most likely water. I can't wait for the SR-2 and its awesome bar.

She walked to the table and slid a try of food to me. It was pasta with some chicken mixed in. A salad, and what looked like a brownie. A very poor excuse of a brownie. I started eating, slowly, and was happy to know that this actually tasted good. We sat silently, which was surprising. I thought Eden would leave me alone, but she didn't. She sat there, a bag of what looked like Wheat Thins in her hand.

After a while, my tray empty, I stared at the plate for awhile. Eden noticed, and put her bag down.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked. I looked at her and she had a slight guilty look. "I visited you when you were out. I noticed that you were having a nightmare, and I wondered if you wanted to talk about it. Get it off your chest, you know?"

I thought about it for a moment. It wouldn't I guess.

"Yeah, Tiffany said something about you coming to see me," I gave a small smirk. "Nice to know you care Eden." I saw her smile and look away. When she wasn't "Commander Shepard", she would have these little quirks about her that was slightly childish. It was cute. I chuckled for a bit, then took a breath. "I guess talking about it wouldn't hurt. If you are up for it?" She looked at me and nodded. She adjusted her seating to where now she was sitting cross legged, and she cupped her hand in her lap. Even though she had terrible bed head, she looked really cute. Damn it woman!

Anyway, I told her of the nightmare. Well, more like a memory burned into my skull. I told her about meeting Robert, Shun, and Stephanie. Explained which each of them could do and the role we played. What kind of jobs we did. Of course I left out the Organization. Didn't want Eden getting suspicious. And I left out me and Stephanie. I wasn't ready to talk about that. I then told her about what happened to Shun. The raid into the building, Shun hacking his way into the terminal, and then the explosion.

"Next thing I knew, I woke up in our hideout. Stephanie walked up to me, and broke the news. Shun was dead. And there was nothing I could do to save him."

"You can't blame yourself Adrian. By the time you realized what was happening, it was too late. Shun shouldn't have taken so long to transfer the credits." I told her another lie. I had to. "You tried to save him, but you couldn't. But I think that if Shun would of picked who should live that day. He would pick the team, not himself."

That got me. I never thought of it that way before. I was too busy hating myself that I didn't consider what they may think. If Shun knew about what was going to happen, he would tell us to get out of there. It was his honor after all. I smiled, and not a half ass smile, a real one.

"Thanks Eden. Once again, you help me through my denial. Of course, it will take time for me to fully accept it. But this is a step." She smiled and leaned forward taking my hand into hers. Her biotic flared again, and the cool soothing sensation was there with the touch. I caught my breath at the moment. Her hands were soft and smooth. Not calloused like most soldiers. No, she took care of her hands and skin. Even though they were smaller than mine, her fingers were long and slender. I looked at her, and she cocked her head, smile widening.

"And I'll be there to help you Adrian. Every step of the way."

Now that, ladies and gentlemen, will be the few times I'll admit that my heart slightly skipped a beat. I mentally groaned. Damn this woman. She just had to care about the assassin. And of course I can't help but respond in the only way I know.

"You sure you know what you are getting yourself into Ma'am?" I said in a flirtatious tone mind you. She squeezed my hands. Oh god.

"I think I can handle it. We are going to the Citadel for a resupply and RnR. Maybe you can show me that cool Cajun style you brought from New Orleans." I laughed a little and squeezed her hand this time.

"Careful Eden. They say the Devil lives in New Orleans. Don't want a demon to follow you home, now."

"I think I can handle this demon."

* * *

**Alright then! Well there you guys go. Some background on Adrian. I'm not sure if I said this last chapter, but the next few chapter will be character development and relationship building. Now, will that mean Eden and Adrian are together? No. Will it happen? Maybe.**

**Another thing is the chapters will also explain a few things. Like one the Biotic Burns Adrian has. And a little more on The Organization. Either and that, you just have wait and see. **

**Also a big thank you for the reviews last chapter. It was good to see some of the pen names that have been following the story and reviewing. It was awesome! **

**Thanks again and keep reading**

**KD**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello ladies and germs! And welcome to Chapter 10. Like I said earlier, these next few chapters will be used for Character and Realationship building. Last chapter was about Adrian and his past. This one will be about realationship building for a certain two. *Cough*. Excuse me... Anyways... As a Valentine gift, I'm posting early. What can I say? I love you guys :D. Okay, maybe more like mutually appreciate you, but still, it is something. Right?**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter like the last one. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 10: Gifts and Overthinking... Lovely.

Adrian POV

I woke up a little later than usual, however, I had an excuse. I was "recovering". And honestly, it was pretty nice to be able to sleep in. The Normandy was heading towards the Citadel for resupply and RnR, which is fine by me. I, and I'm pretty sure the rest of the crew, could use a break.

I stood up from my bed and stretched a little. I was still pretty sore from my injuries, but better than last night when I first woke up. A shower would be nice. Walking in to the personal bathroom my room had, I turned on the shower and turned to face the mirror. It honestly was the first time I looked at myself since we left the Citadel the first time. I had some fuzz on my face, and my ashy hair grew an inch or two. But the one thing that got me staring were my Biotic Burns. The blue wispy scars riddled my body. I wasn't completely covered, but anyone could see them. I sighed, and jumped in the shower.

The water was relaxing, which was great because sometimes the burns would start to agitate. I just stood there, leaning against the wall, or turning so the water could hit my back, or pointing my face towards the shower head. This was one of those few times I had to myself so that I could just think on what has happened, and daydream on what I would do with my life. You know, typical wishful thinking.

The first thing that came into mind were my parents. I couldn't make a decision if they would be proud of me or disown me as their son. I know my dad would be pissed, and hell my mom would be too. They would say that they never raised a son to be an assassin. That their son would be better off in either the Marines or a Doctor. Married with a beautiful wife, possible a child on the way, and a dog. That was what they would of wanted for me, and hell, it didn't sound bad either. But, they were dead, and in this universe, made up.

I shook my head to get the thought of my parents out of my head. And shook it harder when the memories of my old team came in. The last thing I would expect to pop up, was Eden. She was really the only one that actually gave a rat's ass about me. Well, there was Garrus. Tiffany said he actually visited me when I was out, but not as much as Eden. The talk last night would defiantly be the first of many. I told her about one of my nightmares, about Shun and the fire. Of course I couldn't tell her the whole truth, but she listened. And at the end she took my hands, and said that she will be willing to help me 'recover'.

A part of me was happy, almost giddy about it. Eden was a great gal, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't attracted. She was extremely cute, almost adorable with her child like habits. And she was… physically well built. But the one thing that would hold me back to actually try and further things was the very reason I ended all my relationships. I was an assassin, and would probably die as one. And the enemies I've picked up would use anything to get at me. Even if Eden was a hell of a fighter, and can probably hold her own, I still couldn't let the fact that she could be tortured or killed because of my "career". No, the thought of me and Eden being together would be just that. A thought. Wishful thinking.

I hoped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around my waist, and started shaving of my fuzz. It may look cool, but it would eventually bother the hell out of me. And my hair would need to be cut. Just a trim, two inches and we be back in business.

I heard a knock on my door, which almost seemed to be near too perfect timing since I was walking out of the bathroom.

"Hold on a sec, I'll be right there." I quickly dried off, and slipped on a pair of athletic pants and a black muscle shirt. I am recovering. No need to where anything proper unless I really must.

Opening the door, I'm surprised to see Liara standing outside. The moment I saw her, I could tell she was timid. She was wearing a the same outfit she would when you are on the Normandy in the first game. She was shifting her feet, and was carrying a datapad.

"Need something Liara?" I asked, breaking the awkward silence. She cleared her throat, and took a breath. Jesus she is making this awkward. Spit it out already!

"Hello Spade." So I guess I'm still Spade to some of the crew. "I'm glad to see you are feeling better."

"Thanks. Feels good to get up and walk around." She nodded, and kept her glance away.

"Spade, there is something I wanted to ask you?" Oh dear, a quiz?! I can't handle quizzes!

"Alright, shoot. But make it quick, Garrus and Tali needed to talk to me." Part of that was true. Tali needed to talk to me about my omnitool. And Garrus. Well let's just say he is getting a visitor today, at least, Liara thinks he is. Liara nodded.

"Well, you and Shepard seem to be close. Not in an explicit nature! Just that you too are good friends, at least you seem that way, and I wanted to know more about her. But not stalking! I'm just curious about her. She is different than most humans and-"

I brought my hands up and clapped as loud as I could, snapping her from her rambling. Geez, this woman talks way to much when she is nervous. She jumped at the clap and looked at me.

"Slow down Liara. Take a breath, and try again. You had a question, right?" She nodded and took a breath.

"Sorry. I'm just a little nervous. I've never talked to an assassin before. I was afraid you may shoot me." She brought her hands up after she said that. "I mean no offense!"

I sighed. "Don't worry Liara, I'm not going to shoot you. Now will you ask your questions, or do I have to get Eden?" Liara jumped again, and shook her head.

"No no no no. I just wanted to ask about her. I was going to invite her to lunch at the Citadel, and wanted to know what to ask her." Oh, so she didn't want to make a date awkward. Okay, I can go with that.

"Alright then. Well, we are teammates, but I don't know everything. All I know is she is easy to talk to, and you should find out yourself." I put my hand on her shoulder, trying to be reassuring. She looked up and smiled a little.

"Alright then. I guess that is the traditional way, is it not." She had a shy smiled, and I smiled back and nodded. I brought my hand back, and went back to my room to put shoes on. The door was still open and Liara watched, which was a little weird.

"There you have it Liara. Just talk with her." I looked at the time on my terminal. "If that's all Liara, I should head down to engineering. Tali needed to see me about my omnitool." Liara nodded, and gave a shy wave goodbye. I stood there for a moment, and then headed towards the elevator.

Even though the elevators were slow as hell, it was a good time to think. Liara was really going to ask Eden out to lunch, huh? Well she has competition with Kaidan. That guy has been trying to get a date with her ever since the mission started. Poor guy, at least he tries. Still, I couldn't help but feel bothered about it. Liara is a good person… for now. And Kaidan is honorable. But them being with Eden, and during RnR? I don't know, it just didn't sit right. Could it be a date? No, the mission comes first. Right? What if I asked Eden to a lunch? Would I be able to find out more about her as well?

I shook my head. I can't think about this, and I told myself in the shower that it wouldn't, and shouldn't, work. Even though I need to protect Eden for the Organization, I can't allow myself to get closer with her. Now that I think about it, there are plenty of reasons why Eden shouldn't be with me. One, the Organization. They want me to protect her and help fight the Reapers, and I doubt they would like it if I was in a relationship with their "Chosen One". Two, I'm an assassin with a bounty on my head. Zace and Ieris weren't the first who tried to collect. And Thirdly, and most importantly, my "situation". I'm from a universe where she is nothing more than a fictional character. How would she react to that? How would I react to that? She has too much on her plate, and my problems aren't one of them. I can't have her go through that.

The elevator finally came to a halt and the doors opened to the engineering floor. Garrus and a few other Marines were fixing up the Mako. Ashley was at the weapons, and Wrex was being… well Wrex. I headed towards the engineering room and saw Tali talking with Adams. I never really got to talk to him, only a few hi's and hello's. Thankfully, he doesn't look down or sneer when I walk buy. Pretty respectful guy from what I can tell.

"Hey Tali," I said as I walked up to her. She turned, and even though she had a face mask on, I can tell she had a smile.

"Adrian! Good to see you out of the medbay. How are you holding up?"

"Better than when I woke up. Still a little sore, and the burns I can ignore." She nodded for a bit and her head slightly tilted down and facing towards my left. She was looking at my scarred wrist. If I could describe the scar, it was the size of a wrist watch.

"It is good that you are doing well Adrian. However, I wish I could say the same about your omnitool." Oh no..

"What happened?"

"To put it bluntly. Its fried. You can't use it anymore." My heart dropped. Losing one's omnitool is like losing a part of your identity. In a soldiers stand point, losing your ability to fight.

"Were you able to salvage anything from it? Like a program, or some data?" Tali looked down for a moment.

"Sorry Adrian. I couldn't salvage anything. The tool is completely fried. I don't even think the Geth would be able to get anything." Damnit!

"So all my Tech Powers?"

"Gone."

"Fuck!" Now I know what it feels to go through a power reset, only this time there aren't any powers. Imagine playing mass effect, but without using ANY abilities. Think long and hard on it. The fun of the game would be lost. That is what is happening to me. The data on my omnitool can be replaced, it was mainly personal and contact information, but my Tech powers? That is months work of program coding down the drain. And what sucks even more is I didn't bother to memorize any of it.

Tali shifted a little, and started looking around. What is she nervous about? I was about to ask, until my vision was covered.

"What the hell?" I asked.

"Guess who?" I heard Tali said. She started giggling, and I brought my hands up to feel two hands covering my eyes. Really now? I just lost the most important thing in my life and someone thinks it is cool to cover my eyes?! On the other hand, it was a little challenge and I don't back down on challenges. I kept feeling the hands, trying to see if touch could help win me this. It was evident that they belong to a woman. I mean come on. Can you really think a guy would play "Guess who" with another guy?

In my head I was thinking of every female in the ship that would actually play this. The only two I could really think of was either Eden or Tiffany. Ashley did come to mind, but I doubt she would even act this way in the first place. Eden was a likely choice because this was normally how she acted when we aren't getting shot at. And Tiffany? That was a long shot, but who knows. Then it hit me. Eden and Tiffany are both biotic and, call me crazy, but whenever they would touch or make contact with my skin, they had a different feel to them. Well, actually Eden was the only one that felt different. Her touch was cool and soothing. Others just had a strange glow effect. I griped the hands, and I could feel my scarring responding. Okay, so they are a biotic. Now, I focused on how they felt. I smiled.

"Eden." The hands moved away from my eyes, and I turned to see Eden there. She mocked whined and had a slight pouty face. I laughed, and Tali giggled a little only to cause Eden to laugh a little as well. "What are you doing here Eden? I thought you were in the CIC?"

Eden kept her smile and looked at Tali. "Tali and I wanted to surprise you with something." I cocked an eyebrow. A surprise? What kind of surprise?

Eden moved next to Tali and counted to three. After one Tali brought her hands up.

"Surprise," they said in unison. I was waiting for them to yell, but since we are in the engine room and Adams and the others were trying to work, yelling would only disturb them.

I looked at her hands, and honestly was shocked at what I saw. It was an omnitool, and by the looks of it, it was newly issued. It has never been used. I took the little wrist watch like device and strapped it on my wrist. Right over the scar. Sorry Wrex, I don't plan on showing that scar off anytime soon.

The omnitool activated on its own, and started to scan its new user. They way omnitool's work, is that they first scan the user. Blood type, age, date of birth, the works. And it is all harmless. Then it will connect to the extranet, establish a network, and then its finished. Like an I-Phone, but more personal. The only thing you need to add are the different programs, like apps.

After it finished it scan, the amber colored tool glowed, and the next thing I saw took my breath away. On the little screen was the N7 symbol. This is a special forces grade tool. And the fact that it was N7 made it even more rare. Military grade tools are expensive and specially made for combat purposes. Special forces, like N7, are a grade higher, hell of expensive, and multi-purpose. They are like the master key to everything. And I mean everything.

"Eden… Wha- How did you…?" I was speechless. She giggled and gave a light shrug.

"Tali found it on Feros. At first we thought it was a standard issue military omnitool, but after she did a scan we found it to be N7. That, and seeing how yours is fried, we wanted you to have it." She took a moment and I could see her biting her lower lip and shifting her feet. "Do you like it? I mean, I've seen you work with your older one and would understand how you wouldn't want anything else. I just, well you know, wanted to help you out." Was she scarred that I wouldn't like this? Wait… She was. She was nervous that I wouldn't accept this. It was amazing, that was for sure.

"Eden. Tali. This is great. Honest. Best gift I've received in years. Thank you." I gave them the most sincere smile I could give, earning a smile from Eden and I'm pretty sure Tali. Tali took a step forward and pointed at my new omnitool.

"And, as a bonus, it already has combat programs for you to use. Eden took a look at it, and said that this was a tool N7 Paladin's used."

N7 Paladin's? The guys with shield right? To make sure, I checked the tool's programs. There wasn't as many as my old one, but I would live. From what I could see there was a standard Incineration tech, a Snap Freeze, and Overload. Alright, Snap Freeze was an exclusive Paladin class power. I kept looking at the powers, and sure enough I found what I was looking for. With a jerk of my hand, and clenching my fist, a large amber shield took form. Sweet. I was beaming, and Eden and Tali could tell. I may have lost my old tool, but this new one is a huge step up.

I retracted the shield and looked at the omnitool again. I may not have my tech armor, but the shield would be nice. And by looking at some more, I could tell that there was some room for me to add some modification programs to the shield. This was awesome. Power reset may suck, but receiving new Tech completely over shadows it. And the fact that my combat is heavily based on the use of Tech Powers, having something new to work with is just as awesome. Over all, I had four Tech Powers and space for two more. Special Forces grade omnitool's pack a lot of usage data and programming. They were meant to finish a hack five times as fast, but in order to have that speed you need to use more storage data and space. It does balance out and is extremely helpful, so even though I may not have my old tool that has over every Tech Power, this new one is just as good.

"Honestly, this is awesome," I said looking at the two. Tali was nodding and Eden smiled.

"Well at least we replaced one of your damaged items." As soon as she said that, Tali brought a hand to where her mouth would be. I frowned.

"What?" I asked. Eden sighed and rubbed the back of her arm, looking away.

"Well, your jacket was torn up. Your shield is completely fried. And your helmet may be damaged as well. Whatever Ieris did with that Overload, she knew what she was doing. She pretty much took out all your Tech."

Damn it! That was one thing I did NOT want to here. The shield I knew would be a lost cause. Hell it was malfunctioning before Ieris. My jacket is replaceable, although it was my favorite. But my helmet? That is just as important as an omnitool. Even though I'm starting to hate it and it brings back memories, it is an important tool in my arsenal.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and let out a breath. "Where is my helmet?"

"In your locker," said Eden. I nodded.

"Alright, well I better go and have a look at it. Hopefully I can still use it, and if not maybe the data can be salvaged." I rubbed the back of my head and shrugged. Aside from that, I was still pretty happy. "Anyway, thanks again. I'll catch ya'll later."

I left the engine room and went to my locker. I was relieved to see my weapons there, all intact and ready to go. My jacket was there too and just by looking at it I could tell it was a lost cause. Oh well. Then I saw my helmet. It was banged up, that was for sure. The right eye area had a large scorch mark that had a few cracks in it. It also had some dents here and there. Nalik is going to be pissed.

Helmet in hand I headed to the elevator. I was about to preform some high tense surgery on my helmet, and having everyone in the hanger be here and ask what I'm doing would be very disturbing to my work. Unfortunately, someone used the elevator, so I have to wait for about a year until it came down.

I stood patiently, helmet took under my arm and my new omnitool opened. I was checking the extranet. Mainly for Citadel news feed. So far nothing interesting, just a lot of journal articles about Eden, since she was the first human Spectre. Some informative, some bias, and some just celebrity gossip. Nothing to important. There was one about me, or well, Spade. Pretty much that so far there hasn't been any murders, and the man hunt for me is still ongoing. Well at least they are trying.

"What are you looking at?" a voice asked. I jumped and turned to see Eden giggling at my jump.

"Jesus Eden, don't do that again." She was still giggling and brought a hand up.

"Sorry. I didn't think you would be so jumpy."

"Yeah, well when you aren't paying attention, anything could cause someone to jump."

"True enough," she said with a smile. I gave a small smile back and turned back towards the elevator. It finally came down, and Eden and I moved aside for those who came down to this floor. We both entered, I hit he button for the top floor, and we stood silently as the elevator went up. We were the only ones in the elevator, so it may have been a little awkward. But, only just a little.

"I'm sorry about all your stuff Adrian," Eden said with a small guilty tone. I looked at her.

"Don't apologize Eden. I can figure something out. Besides, you and Tali replaced the omnitool, and I'm pretty sure I can replace a leather jacket." She nodded, and then looked at my helmet.

"What about your helmet?" I shrugged.

"I can't fix it physically, but I may be able to salvage the programming installed within the helmet. It's complicated, but I may be able to do it. If not a buddy of mine on the Citadel can fix it. Hopefully."

"I've been meaning to ask, what can your helmet do?" I let out a breath. To some, they may think that it is a very over powered helmet that can do about anything. But in a Tech perspective, it is way more complicated. One, there is what I call "the Iron Man Cursor". Basically it is like this. Iron Man's helmet had a tool that would allow Tony Stark to look at certain functions. With a blink of his eye, the function would activate. The comics explain a little about, and the movie showed something like it.

Anyway, I explained as easily as I could about the helmet. From its face scanning, to tracking. Pretty much the works. I told her about its different fields of vision, and how I can connect it with my Sicarius rifle. As I was talking, I could see Eden looking at me. She was actually listening. She didn't have a "wow, you are a total geek" look, but an interested look. In a way, I felt good about it. After I finished, she nodded.

"Wow, sounds like some complicated stuff," she said. I laughed a little.

"Oh yeah. Took me about a year just to get everything down to an art. And having it damaged is very bad. I need to get it fixed up, ASAP."

"Is it okay if I join you?" What? I looked at her with a confused look. She cleared her throat. "I know it may be boring, but Tech in a way fascinates me. Being a Biotic myself, I never got the chance to work with Tech, and seeing you and Garrus and Tali work with like it is an art. Well, I just want to know more about it. If it is alright, of course." I looked away for a moment, and then shrugged.

"I don't see why not. If you're not busy, than by all means. The company may speed the process up."

She smiled and nodded. Well this is new. I never really showed how Tech works, or well, how I work with Tech. This may just be interesting. I hope I don't bore her. This is going to be serious Geek Squad in a matter of minutes.

"So what do you plan on doing when we get to the Citadel?" she asked, breaking the silence again. The elevator is that slow for two different conversations.

"I'm not sure. Get a new jacket is one thing. Maybe hit the bar while I still can. What about you?"

She shrugged. "Not much myself. Liara invited me to lunch, and so did Kaidan. Aside from that I don't know." I chuckled.

"Guess we are both not that into planning, huh?" She giggled in response to that.

"Guess not." She looked away for a moment then looked back at me. "How about we spend the RnR together. I did say I would help you, so this would be the best chance for it." I shrugged. She did say she wanted to help me out. Why not.

"I don't see any harm in it. Sure, why not." She smiled.

"It's a date then."

"You sure you want to call it that? And what about Liara and Kaidan?" I asked.

"Yes I'm sure I want to call it. And they'll understand. I'll just tell them I have business to take care of." I shook my head, but smiled none the less.

"Alright, but don't run to me when they start yelling at you for ditching them." She laughed.

"I'll be fine." The elevator opened. "Now let's go, I want to learn about this Tech stuff." She took off for the quarters, and I followed. She called it a date. I couldn't help but chuckle at that. Earlier I told myself not to get close, and yet here she is trying too. I think. Who knows, maybe it will only be two friends spending time together. Or maybe it will lead to something. I don't know, but my mother always said that you can't shape fate to your own accord, it will shape you. Maybe fate has something in store with Eden. For all I know, RnR is going to be very interesting.

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**Alright, there ya'll have it. This was manily some fluff with Adrian and Eden. And also a Power reset. So for all of ya'll who said Adrian was overpowered, well there you go. It was going to happen whether people said it or not. As for why I pretty much made him a Paladin, I'm not sure. I just really love that shield you know? I'm more of a N7 Slayer/Shadow fan myself. Even though my character is more Pheonix Adept and Female Sentinel, but still, I like those two N7 characters.**

**Anyway, back to Spade. Next two or three chapters will be the RnR. More realationship building and some character stuff as well. And I'm just going to say this, the Liara scene was hard for me. I am one of those few fans that really... dislikes Liara. Hell all three of ME1 LI(Love Interest). I don't know, I just didn't like them. Liara was annoying to me, that and she was always dropped when I used her. I know people said Garrus was always dropped, but for me Garrus was a fucking BAMF. So was Wrex :D.**

**Also, and I know I'm rambling, but this is some news. I will be updating my profile page (which needed to be done since October, I just never did). But, I'm going to be adding stuff to my page. Basically it will have a list of projects that are out like Spade. A list of OC's I have created and have been introduced through-out my Fics. And, as a little bonus, of some Fic's in the "work-shop" that will be coming in the future. I don't know, I just want another way to connect with readers and let them know of things to come. My page will be updated hopefully by Sunday.**

**So, that should be it... Yeah, I think it is. If ya'll have any questions, or just want to talk about ideas or writing, be sure to drop a message. Also, if you need help shaping an idea, don't be afriad to hit me up. I love helping people out, and even though I'm not a beta-reader, I can care less. Help is help, no matter who it is from. And I know forming an idea can be difficult, hell I scraped some idea's because I couldn't shape the idea, and that is really how good ideas become forgotten. So yeah, just drop me a message and I'll get back to you.**

**Thanks and keep on reading, no matter the story.**

**KD**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello ladies and germs, pleasure to have ya'll here once again for another addition for Mass Effect: Spade. Now, before you read, allow me to say this. This chapter is an emotionally driven chapter so be ready. It had to happen eventually, and it is happening now. And, it will be in our favorite green eyed beauty point of view, Eden.**

**Also, some big news in the gaming community. A new DLC has been anounced for Mass Effect 3 for both singel and multiplayer. The singel DLC is said to be placed in the Citadel, and that every squad mate (that is alive in your own game) will be there. From what I can tell, I don't believe this will be a DLC that would be an ending in some way, like finding Shepard, but it is a possibilty. From what I can tell, there will be a Casino area, a shooting range, your very own apartment that you can apparently customize, and a lounge area with the characters you know and love. On the Bioware page it said that there will be a lot of character interaction, so for those who love scenes with a certain Love Interest(Miri) or that favorite squad mate you just have to have in your team (Garrus and Wrex), this may be a pretty good DLC, and is said to be realesed March 5, A month from my birthday :D. And lastly is the Retaliation DLC for Multiplayer. Like any other multiplayer DLC for Mass Effect this will introduce new characters, weapons and weapon upgrades. I can't say right of the top of my head what the characters are but the ones that caught my attention are The Turian Raptor which is said to be a female, Geth Juggernat( I butchered that spelling) and a Krogan with a Gravity hammer from Halo. I'm not joking. They gave Grunt a fucking Hammer. Aside from those three there are a few more, and plus some added weapons. This DLC, and I could be wrong, maybe the end of this month or beginning of March, and is Free :D. Also, Bioware announced that these DLC will be the last for Mass Effect. Now if that spans to Multiplayer, I don't know, but it is still kind of bittersweet that this will be the last new content we can have with our favorite Commander and his Squad. Still, I'm excited for any DLC for Mass Effect, and I wanted to share my excitement with ya'll.**

**Now, news aside, I am most pleased to introduce this next chapter, for Mass Effect: Spade. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 11: Heartfelt Revelation's

Eden POV

We just arrived to the Citadel, and I was standing outside the Normandy in the docking bay. I was waiting for some of the others to come out. Most of the crew left as soon as we docked on the Citadel, and I stayed to make sure everything was in order. Just the duties a Commanding officer must do on the ship. Still, RnR sounds extremely good right now and I'm sure the crew needed it. I had my duffle bag lying next to my feet. And since it was RnR I was wearing a more casual outfit. Jeans, boots, and a white shirt. Pretty average clothing.

I put my arms up and stretched. Last night Adrian showed me how his helmet worked, and we stayed up a little too late. It was interesting learning about the different Tech Adrian uses. Although extremely complicated, it was fun in a way to learn something new. I understood how his helmet worked, but either than that, not much. Sadly, while Adrian was trying to download any data that may have survived from Ieris's overload, some of it was permanently damaged. Adrian was only able to retrieve some data caches and some programs, but everything else will have to be replaced. He said he will need to take it to a friend of his to get it fixed.

The exit hatch of the Normandy opened and Garrus and Adrian were walking out talking about something with sniper rifles. I smiled when Adrian eyes flashed in my direction. He and I have grown closer since the mission started two months ago. It was strange, and I'm sure everyone else didn't get it either. Me being friends with an assassin? Sounds pretty crazy. But when I talk to him, I don't feel like I'm being threatened. He was also carrying a duffle bad as well. I'm assuming some clothes, and his helmet. He was wearing different clothing than usual. He was wearing dark blue jeans, his combat boots, and a long sleeve black shirt. Probably didn't want people to see his burns.

Those burns. I try to hide it, but they make me want to cringe at the sight. He always looked like he was in pain because of them. Being curious as always, I talked to Dr. Chakwas. She knew a whole lot more than I on the burns. Yeah, I knew about how he will always feel a burning sensation, and that he would need an injection of some serum every so often. And that if I just graze him, my biotics flare. I asked her for the full detail. She stated that Biotic Burning is extremely rare, due to that they are normally caused by a Warp field, and that is normally meant for a kill. There are three stages. The first stage is pretty much just scarring with some slight warm feelings. The second stage, which Adrian is in, is a little more severe. The burns would take effect on him. He would have mild to high burning sensations which are controlled by a cooling serum. Then it is the final stage. The third stage is pretty much the end of the line. Constant treatment, and the burning would really take its toll on the body. Basically, the body will start to shut down and the burns will "overload" the body.

It was sad to know that something I would call a gift would cause so much pain to someone. There was one amazing thing about them. My biotic's would flare when I touch him. Well, anybody that has biotics would flare, but it was still a wonder. I asked Chakwas about it. They way she said it was completely complicated for someone like me, so I'll give the easy version. The burning is pretty much nothing more than residue. Left over biotic power that attached itself on Adrian. He isn't turning into a biotic, because that is just ridiculous, but the power is attached to him. That is why when I touch him in anyway, my biotics would flare only slightly.

"Hey Eden. I thought you would be gone by now," I heard Adrian say, bringing me back from my musing. I looked at him and gave him a smile.

"I had to wait for everyone to leave the ship, then I can go."

"Are we the last ones Commander?" Garrus asked. I nodded, and I could see his mandibles twitch. "Sorry to make you wait Commander."

"No need for an apology. I don't mind waiting." I heard Adrian chuckle.

"You have more patience than I Eden. I would've been long gone by now," he said.

"Well, I did want to spend RnR with you Adrian. I didn't want to be rude and just leave you here." He smiled, and then turned his attention to the elevator. The doors opened, and the three of us walked in and started waiting for the long trip down. We were quiet at first, but it wasn't awkward. More like a comfortable silence. I looked at the two. Adrian was leaning against the wall, and Garrus was working on something in his Omnitool. I knew in my gut, I could trust these two. We fought together, had each other's back, and when the time came, carried one another when one was injured. Garrus was the one that helped with evac when Adrian was shot. It was amazing.

Garrus was a police officer, and Adrian is an assassin. You would think they would hate each other, but they didn't. And I could understand why, unlike some of those in my crew. They fought together, and in dire situations where our lives were at stake. Adrian watched both of our backs, and I'm pretty sure that if he wasn't there Garrus and I would be dead. And the same goes for Adrian. If we weren't there to help him, he would be dead as well. And it is moments like that, where bonds are formed. Where the past of the soldier next to you doesn't matter, for he is taking bullets for you, while you are doing the same. Hell just look at me and Garrus for instance. Our species have waged war against each other, and the hate is still there. But when I see Garrus, I don't see a Turian, I see a soldier that has my back during a fight. It was the same with all three of us.

"So Garrus. What are you going to do during RnR?" asked Adrian. Figures that he would break the silence. Garrus by now already closed his omnitool, and he looked at Adrian.

"I'm going to meet up with some buddies from C-Sec. They said something about me not getting a "proper farewell". Probably just means that I'll be getting drunk, but, no shame in that." Adrian laughed lightly.

"I hear that," Adrian said. Garrus was sat back quietly for a moment, his mandibles twitching. I think he was thinking of something to ask Adrian. This may just be interesting. Over the course of the mission, Garrus and I have both been trying to figure out more about Adrian. And since we have him in a slow moving elevator, this may be the best chance we have.

"I'm curious Adrian. I've arrested hitmen and assassins before, and a majority of them are almost crazy. But you. You are more calm, more accepting than most. Why is that?"

Adrian looked at Garrus. He was still leaning against the elevator wall, and his arms were crossed. His smoke grey eyes were focused on Garrus for a moment, and I couldn't say for sure, but I think he flashed me a look for a moment. After a few seconds he eventually shrugged.

"I guess the things I've experienced have caused me to change in a way."

"What does that mean?" Garrus asked. Adrian stood up, arms still crossed, and looked out the elevator window.

"You want to know the life expectancy for an assassin?" Garrus shrugged. What did that have to do with anything. "Two years, and that is if the assassin is lucky. After the second year, statistic read that an individual would start to show signs of PTSD, and I'm pretty sure we all know what that means."

"What about the Drell? Majority of them are known to be assassins. How come there aren't many cases of PTSD with them?" Garrus responded.

"Well, most Drell are trained at a young age. That and they are more spiritual than most races. To them, just as long as the act is just, they wouldn't feel any regret for it." Adrian moved away from the window and went back to his spot. He took a breath, and looked up at the ceiling.

" When I first started as an assassin, I never hesitated to kill anyone. And I mean anyone. Innocent, guilty, didn't matter. I was a, renegade, so to speak. Just do the job I needed to do, and go back at home. And if anyone got in my way they were removed. It was easy at first. But…" He paused for a second. He adjusted himself for a moment. This wasn't easy for him, but he knew that I was here. And he knew I would help him. He was having trouble finishing what he was going to say.

"But?" I asked, almost whispered. I took another long breath.

"But, after two years of nothing but killing, it starts to take its toll. I was careless, unforgiving, almost soulless. And after Shun and Robert's death, was when I started to look at the bigger picture."

Garrus looked at me with a confused look. He didn't know the two names, but I did. They were the reason for Adrian's nightmares. Well,one of the reasons. Adrian continued.

"I stopped taking jobs from crime syndicates, and tried to turn my life around. For awhile it started to work out. I was a, vigilante of sorts. Stealing information from drug cartels, and leaving them as an anonymous tips for the police force. My targets changed from people at the wrong place at the wrong time, to crime lords and smugglers. It was great, being the good guy and all, but some things never last."

"What happened?" asked Garrus. Adrian looked down this time. I have a feeling this wouldn't be a happy story.

"I was careless. Let an enemy see my face. He hired a broker agent and was able to figure out who I was. But instead of targeting me, he targeted someone else." He paused for a moment. "Her name was Stephanie Theroit. She and I were part of the same mercenary team with Robert and Shun. After they died, she and I left and headed here. She and I were… close. Hell, she was the reason why I wanted to leave the assassin business. When my enemies found out about her and me, they used it to their advantage."

I brought a hand to my mouth. I could see where this was going, and I knew I wouldn't like it. Garrus looked as if he knew as well. His mandibles were tight shut on his face.

"It was an average day at the Presidium, and Steph and I were heading down to the bar. It was the anniversary of Robert's death, and we wanted to remember him. We were just walking, enjoying the day, hand in hand. But then she saw something. She pushed me away from her, and I could see her crying. The last thing she said was that she was sorry, before…" His breathing started to quicken. "She was shot. Killed on impact. Sniper from across lake. Never was able to find him."

Garrus eyes shot towards Adrian.

"I remember that case. The shooter was found dead a few hours later. It was ruled as a suicide." Adrian scoffed.

"Lucky bastard…" Adrian murmered. I took a breath, calming myself.

"What did you do after her death?" I asked. Adrian shrugged, and picked up his bag.

"Nothing. I got low though." That worried me.

"How low?" I asked him. He looked down and away. Trying to get me out of his view.

"Low," was all he said. The elevator doors opened before any of us could say something, and Adrian started to walk away. His word hung in the elevator, and anybody who would of walked in would have felt it. Garrus and I just watched him. I didn't know what to do. There is my friend, who is hurting inside and out, and I didn't know what to do. I just stood there, stunned.

It was a three fingered hand that shook me from my thoughts. I looked up to see Garrus. He nodded his head towards Adrian's direction.

"You should talk to him. I have a feeling he won't talk to anyone else but you. Besides, you may not ever get a chance like this." I looked at him for a moment. Taking in the words he said. Then, almost instinctively, I made a decision. And that was Adrian. I quickly nodded, grabbed my bag and hurried towards Adrian. Not before, giving Garrus a quick hug and a thank you.

I knew I cared for Adrian, tremendously. He was kind and sweet, and tolerated my humor. And he risked his life to save me in numerous occasions. The only reason he is in stage two of Biotic Burning is because of me. And yet, he made the choice to take that hit. And I understand why. He lost everything. Friends, family, the one he use to love. That is why he risks everything. He has nothing else. I felt the same way after Mindior. Losing everything I've known and loved. Not wanting to live anymore. But I gained my confidence back. I had a reason to fight, thanks to Anderson. Now, Adrian needs something to fight for. And I'm willing to be just that.

Yeah, he had enemies. Yeah, I could be putting myself at risk for just talking to him, but I didn't care. The only thing I cared about was him, and saving him from his own inner demons. I wasn't in love, at least not yet. I couldn't say. Maybe it would happen, after all this is over. And maybe it won't. But I didn't care about any of that. Right know, Adrian needs someone, and I need someone. I was hurting too. I lost Jenkins, my home, family and friends to war and slavers. But that didn't matter when I was with him.

I found him, leaning against a railing looking out at the view. When I got closer to him I could see that he had blank facial expression. I set my bag down, next to his, and I leaned on the rail. All things aside, the view was spectacular. Rows of lights, and flying sky cars zipping through the air.

I looked at Adrian, and I gradually got closer. We weren't touching, but we were close enough. I bit my lip. I didn't know what to say. What can I say? 'Hey Adrian, everything is going to be alright'? That wouldn't work. Well Eden. Guess you are going to have to wing it.

"Adrian?" My voice was waaay to soft. Almost like a whisper. I realized my heart was racing, and that I was nervous. I could feel my hands quivering. Easy Eden. Fighting hordes of slavers was easier than this. Adrian shifted, and looked at me. I could see him trying to give a smile, but it was broken. He eventually just sighed.

"Hey Eden. Sorry about walking off like that…" he said.

"It's okay. You were angry, and we shouldn't have pried like that." Adrian hummed a little and he looked away towards the horizon. I bit my lip, and looked away as well. Come on Eden, this may the only chance to get closer with Adrian. My mind raced as I tried to come up with something to break this damned silence. Anything may work. Or he would just ignore me. There was one thing, and it could work. I hope. Out of everyone in the Normandy, he is the only one who calls me by my first name. At first it was only when it was just me and him, but eventually he would call me Eden no matter where we were. It was sweet, in its own little way. I knew Kaidan cared, but he never called me by my first name. Some of the crew, however, didn't like it and actually requested that he be taught proper respect. I just told them that I would handle it. Even though I didn't.

"You know, you are the only one who actually calls me by my first name," I said, trying to smile. Adrian shrugged.

"It is your name. Besides, I'm not military."

"Yeah, and neither is Tali or Liara, and yet they still call me Commander or Shepard."

"They respect you."

"And you don't?" That caused him to stand up straight and finally look at me. Here we go.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I respect you. I have the upmost respect for you out of everyone I met, and we've only known each other for a few months!" His voice was rising. I put my hands up.

"Okay, calm down. I was only teasing, didn't mean for you to get upset."

"Upset! You think I'm upset!? I'm fucking pissed!" He yelled, getting a few looks from civilians that were passing by. I would've been worried and try to calm him down, but he need to let it out. He need to vent.

"And why are you? …Are you mad at me?" I really didn't mean to ask that, but at the time it was really the only thing that came to mind. He looked at me almost hurt.

"At you? No! Of course not! Why would I be mad at you?!"

"Then why are you mad?" He looked away, facing the horizon again. Oh no, you are not turning away from me, mister! I crossed my arm and stared at his face. "Adrian. You can talk to me." He looked down.

"I know…"

"Then who or what is causing you to be so angry?" He didn't answer.

"Is it Ieris?" He shook his head.

"Is it Saren and the mission?"

"No…"

"Is it Kaidan?"

"What? No." I took a moment.

"Is it me?"

"No."

"Then what is it?!"

"ME!" He yelled, almost causing the entire area to quiet. I looked and saw some civilians looking towards us. Some had a concern look, and others, mostly Asari and woman, had a look of understanding. Guess they had arguments like this, I guess. Eventually, they all went back to what they were doing. I was stunned though. I did not expect him to say something like that. And also how he looked. His knuckles were white from gripping the railing, and his face was red from anger. His grey eyes were dull however, no their usual bright. He too noticed the people watching and he picked up his bag.

"Come on. It is obvious this isn't the best place to talk. We'll head to over my place. If that is alright with you?" I nodded and picked up my bag.

"Fine by me. Lead the way."

We left the area. We didn't talk, but the silence wasn't awkward. It wasn't peaceful either. If people saw us, they would have a look of concern if any.

His apartment wasn't so far away from the wards. It was a tall building, so we had to take an elevator to his floor. And his apartment wasn't so bad either. It was a one bedroom apartment, but it was still homey in a way. Adrian sat his beg next to his couch and I did the same. His apartment had a balcony, and that was where he went. I followed suit, and in a way, we were back to how we were at the docking area. We watched the view for a moment, then I looked at him. Instinctively I place my hand on his shoulder. He flinched a little, but I could feel him try to relax.

"I think I finally figured you out, Adrian Dawn." He looked at me, at little confused. "You are angry at yourself because you feel like you failed. Failed at protecting the one thing you loved the most. Stephanie was dear to you, and the fact that she was killed only made it worse for you. The fact that you lost everyone dear to you made it only more difficult. You blamed yourself, and because of it, you risk your own life." I stopped for a moment. I wanted to make sure he took the words that I was saying. He looked down for a moment, again, and then back at me.

"Yeah, I lost everything," he said started. "I lost everything because of what I can do. I got low, but I couldn't do something like THAT to myself. No honor in it, right? So, yeah I risked myself in a fight. I didn't care for my well being, and to be honest, I still don't care. And you want to know something? I would sometimes WISH it. Wish that that one bullet could be the one. That it would all end right there." He stopped for a moment, and took a breath. His eyes were looking somewhere else now. "Besides… No one will miss me…"

At that moment, my eyes widened and my anger went off like flint. I quickly raised my hand, and slapped him across the face. I could feel tears stinging my eyes, but I suppressed them as best as I could.

"Idiot…"I said. My breathing was getting heavy, and I could feel my emotions in my throat. The smile I had moments before was gone. Adrian just looked at me, stunned. His hand barely brushing his cheek. I felt a little guilty at that moment.

"Eden… Wha-?" was all he said.

"I would miss you, you idiot…"

"What?" My fists clenched. That is his response? Seriously?!

"I would miss you!" I shouted, and he jumped a bit at the outburst. "I would miss you, Adrian! If you were to leave, or were killed, I would miss you!" His hand dropped to his side, and he tried to put on a serious face.

"Why?"

"Why?! Because I care about you, you damned idiot!" I heard his breath caught, and his face was more stunned than at the slap. But did that stop me? Nope. Not for a damned second. "Out of everyone in the crew, you are the only one who treats me like Eden. To you, I'm not Commander, or Shepard, but Eden. And you know what? I love it. I love how I can be me around you, and you won't reprimand me, or judge me. You are sweet to me, you are kind, you are able to put a smile on my worst days. You protected me from danger, even though you knew I would be safe. And for the first time, I finally met someone who cared about who I am, and not for what I am. And that person is you Adrian."

The tears started to drop.

"So don't ever say you are ready to die Adrian. You hear me? Don't ever… Say it." I felt a slight sob, but I held it as best as I could. "You have to live Adrian. You have to…"

I couldn't say anymore. It was almost impossible. I was at the borderline of downright sobbing. The tears were falling uncontrollably now. I've said all I could say. And why was I crying? Simple. I've lost people I cared about to. Mindior was where my life should have been, but it was taken away. I've seen people I loved the most be killed, or kidnapped. And in the Alliance, I've seen budies killed while on the line of duty. That is why I'm crying. Because now I found someone I care for. And I don't want to lose him like how I lost the others.

Then, as if from a movie, I felt his hand on my cheek. His thumb brushing away tears. His hands were calloused, but comforting none the less. I looked at him, and he looked at me. His eyes were soft, and his look was sweet. And then, almost magically, he wrapped his arms around me. He held me close, and tight. But not too tight. More in a comforting way. His breathing was slow, and his chest was moving in a melodic rhythm.

"I don't know if I can Eden…" he said. No. Please, don't say that. "At least… I can't alone. But… if you were to help me. Maybe. Just maybe. I can survive…"

That was it. That got me, and I let out my sobbing. I wrapped my arms around him, and sobbed in his shoulder. We stood there for god knows how long. Eventually, he guided me inside, and we sat on his coach. I couldn't say how long I cried, but eventually I started to calm myself. And when the sobbing subsided, he got up and got me a glass of water. He was really sweet. He took of my shoes, put my feet and legs up on the coach, and wrapped a blanket around me so that I was warm. He sat on a chair opposite of the coach, allowing me to stretch my legs.

We sat in silence for awhile. It was late. Not sure exactly the time, but it was late. Eventually, he uttered the first words. He talked about the first time we met, back in Udina's office. He admitted that he was intimidated when everyone pointed guns at him. He also admitted, with a smirk on his face, that when we left that office he couldn't help but stare at my ass for a few seconds. That got me to laugh a little. I then admitted that the day we first talked on the Normandy that I was checking him out too, and that he had a nice ass as well. We laughed some more. It was nice. Nice at how easy it was for us to make one another smile. And that laugh of his was too cute, with that Cajun drawl of his.

When the laughing died down, we looked at each other for a moment, and we started to talk about us. In a way, he was excited. He confessed that he and Stephanie never really got the chance to talk. He also confessed that he too cared about me, but was scared. Scared that I would either deny him, or end up like Stephanie. And you could see it in his eyes. He was scared. Hell, I was too. I was scared. I didn't know what will happen after all this. None of us knew. But, I looked at him, and I told him that I was willing to take a risk for him. He needed me, and I needed him.

Eventually, we started figuring things out. One, we agreed that the crew shouldn't find out until the time was ready. I knew Kaidan and Liara had some sort of feelings for me, and that would lead to a distraction on the mission. So we will keep this a secret for the time being. Two, we will always have each other's backs, no matter the difficulty of the fight, or situation. And thirdly, the time we have together, we will make the most out of it. Not like have sex or anything, unless it called for it, but simply be with one another. Enjoy the time we had together.

After our talk, we decided it was time for bed. Today, was surely exhausting for the first day of RnR. We went to his room, and I changed in his bathroom. I put on my normal sleepwear. Grey sweat pants, a black tank top, and my socks on. I was going to go to his living room, but he told me that it was alright that we shared his bed. I blushed, I'll admit. Sharing a bed the day I confessed my feelings. Never would have happened. But this was different. I laid down next to him. He was wearing athletic shorts, and had a shirt off. I looked over his burns for a moment, then instinctively snuggled next to him, causing my biotic's to flare a little.

He started to chuckle. He said that he never had someone yell a confession like that. I felt a little embarrassed, but he then explained that he liked it. Me yelling at him was his way of knowing that I really did care about him. He called it a "heartfelt revelation". I called it a spontaneous confession. Either way, we both liked it. He would then kiss my forehead, wish me a good night, and drift off to sleep.

Did I really feel this way? For a man that was in fact, a murderer. A criminal. Someone who doesn't deserve any form of love. A man that I should arrest and turn in, so that he may face judgment for his crimes. Did I feel this for him?

Yes. I do. Why? Because that is not who he really is. I may not know everything about him, but I know he is not meant to be a criminal. He is someone who faced many trails and tests. So that could break the strongest of men. And he is cracking. Adrian is cracked, but not broken. And if he was a true assassin, then he wouldn't have saved me. He wouldn't have risked his own life for me. He would've collected his bounty, and live on his sad life. But he didn't. He choice to save me. He choice to risk everything he knew. He trusted me with what he knew. He confessed most of his past with me. And I know he is still willing to do so. So that is why. That is why I chose him.

I looked at him. He was fast asleep. I too kissed him on the forehead and whispered a good night to him. I shifted a little till I was surely comfortable, and slowly drifted to sleep. With a smile on my face. I knew that I would enjoy this RnR.

* * *

**Well, looks like Love is in the air. ...In a very emotional type of way. Let me just say that this chapter was fun, hard, confussing, and a mix of other emotions to write. But still, it was fun none the less. They way I worked this out was like Garrus and FemShep in Mass 2. Right form the get go Shepard will show an attraction to Garrus, and through out the game, they would try to work it out. So even though this is more serious than Flexibilty and Reach, it is sorta similar in its own way. That aside, I'm pretty sure you EdenXAdrian fans were ready for something like this. At least I think. **

**That aside, I wish you all a very fun and safe weekend. I hope you are enjoying this fic as much as I do, and that you enjoy others as well. One thing I noticed is that those who favorite or follow my fic (Yes, I check out profiles to get to know who is reading my stories) majority of them all have more than two Mass Effect fics, and some have nothing but that game. So, as an author and reader, I encourage that you check out something different for a change. A new game, an entirely different genre or section. Just something different, you know? Mix things up a bit, and discover new characters a worlds. I'm mean think about it. That is what reading is all about, right?**

**Thanks again, and See you next time**

**KD**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello Ladies and Gents, and welcome to the next addition for Mass Effect: Spade. This is the last chapter of the RnR set, and we will be jumping into the action. Also, at the bottom of this page will be one: what I think of the new Multiplayer DLC. Hint: Amazing. And two: A special announcement.**

**Anyway, without further delay, I give you Chapter 12.**

* * *

Chapter 12: Letting Go of the Old, and Accepting the New

Eden POV

The past two days were different, that is for sure. Adrian and I are unofficially together, and we have been spending RnR at his apartment. I can honestly say that this was the first time I spent RnR with someone else. It was refreshing, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Adrian and I weren't madly in love with each other, but the feelings were there. The start of RnR was the confession, the second was actually realizing what had happened. We didn't go out that day if I remember correctly. Apparently Adrian's friend, Nalik, stopped by and stocked up Adrian's apartment with groceries. And yet, Adrian left only to pick up take-out from a nearby Chinese restaurant. One thing what was interesting were his burns. That morning we woke up to see them glowing for a few moments, and then dissipating. He also said that the burning sensation was gone for that moment. They came back later that day, but Adrian wasn't in pain. I don't know if it was because of my own biotics, or something else entirely.

Now as for yesterday, we did go out. Mainly checking out the sites, getting a bite to eat, and browsing the market place. Adrian teased me for looking at a pet space hamster. It was cute, and I wanted it. Of course, regulations wouldn't allow it, but still, a girl can dream. He did buy me something. It was a necklace. A simple silver chain with a Fleur de Lis. It reminded him of home, and he wanted me to have it. It hasn't been removed since then. And for him? I bought something as well.

It was a new leather jacket, since his old one was torn up back at Feros. I let him pick of course, seeing how my choice would have been a bluish color with red trimming. Let's just say he didn't really like my choices. Eventually he found what he wanted, and I have to say, it wasn't half bad. It was a dark brown leather jacket, and on the sleeves it had three orange lines running horizontally . He said that it reminded him of a favorite comic book hero. One of those classic picture books from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. He also changed his style a bit. He ditched the combat boots and cargo pants (thank god), and went for a relaxed fit jeans and a pair of brown boots, and a long sleeved shirt of any color. In a way he looked like one of those pictures I've seen from Earth history, the ones with the cowboys and motorcyclists. And I haven't told him yet, but I like it.

Aside from shopping yesterday, we met up with Garrus and Tali. Garrus invited Tali to stay over at his place. Better than the shelter she said. Adrian and I glanced at each other for a moment, but didn't say anything. I figured Tali liked Garrus. She would always get nervous when I would mention him during one of our talks. She was cute when she got nervous. As for Garrus, I wasn't so sure. Adrian seemed to have known something, but he hasn't told me yet.

The four of us went out for lunch, and we talked. Sharing past stories. Garrus talked about some of his cases, Tali about her childhood on the flotilla, I with some N7 training stories, and Adrian talked about some of his wild experiences during a job. He told us about what he did during the day we all met. How Saren formed a little competition, and that he told Anderson about it before he intervened. Stories aside, Garrus apologized for bringing any bad memories for Adrian the other day, but Adrian only smiled, saying that Garrus did nothing wrong and that he was sorry for storming off.

It was nice seeing the two become friends in a way. The first couple of weeks of the mission, Garrus voiced his opposition about having Adrian on the Normandy. He being a former C-Sec officer, wanted Adrian to be turned in and face trail. But eventually, he learned to trust Adrian and I was thankful for it. Hell even he and Wrex started to trust each other, albeit only by a little, but it was a start. At one point, Garrus and Adrian left to refill our drinks and left me and Tali to have a little time for ourselves. She wasn't one to beat around the bush so to speak, and immediately asked about me and Adrian. I was caught off guard, but I quickly recovered and turn the tables on her about Garrus. It may have been cruel, but at least I didn't admit anything yet. Come to find out that apparently Garrus did the same to Adrian, and that Adrian did the same and asked about Tali. Great minds think alike.

After lunch we went our separate ways. Garrus said that he was going to show the Presidium to Tali since she never really seen it. And Adrian and I went back to exploring the Wards. At point Adrian showed off, and did a little free running, only to be scolded by a C-Sec officer. I was laughing the entire time. He got off with a warning, and we went back to the apartment. The night wasn't as eventful. We had dinner, watched the news and a movie, and went to bed.

Now, it is the third day of our RnR, and early this morning Adrian took his helmet over to Nalik's to see if he can fix it. Today would be the day I finally get to meet the guy. Adrian told me a little bit about him. He was a Tech expert and an inventor. He created Adrian's helmet and sniper rifle, and also taught Adrian everything about Tech. Figured seeing how most Salarians are experts at EVERYTHING. While he was out I took a quick shower and got ready for the day. I put on my casual outfit, a pair of jeans, boots, and blue shirt this time. I placed my hands over the necklace Adrian got me. I smiled. My dog-tags were tucked into my shirt, but the necklace I would show off.

I went over to the kitchen and cleaned a little. Adrian wasn't a really messy person, so the only mess there was were a few dishes and pans that he used to make breakfast. He wasn't that bad of a cook, and the fact that he adds that Cajun style to almost everything makes it even better. He made waffles, with bacon and eggs. He added some spices in the eggs that gave that Cajun flavor. And of course, being the sweet guy he was, he made my portion significantly larger since I was a biotic.

After I cleaned I looked around his apartment. He didn't have many personal items. A book here and there, some datapads, and some pictures of nothing important. It was those pictures you would buy that had a random view on them, nothing truly special. There were only two that caught my eye and had significance. One was a picture of New Orleans back in the twenty-first century. It was a wonder, seeing how life was back in that day. From what I could tell, it was the famed Bourbon street during that time. The other picture was more interesting. It was a group picture. He was standing in the middle, on his right there was a human girl, a Salarian, and a Drell. On his left there were two human males and a Turian. Adrian was wearing what I called his "Spade outfit" and you could see his helmet tucked underneath the arm. Everyone was smiling, and were wearing a wide variety of armor and clothing. From what I could see in the picture that they were in a space port of some kind. Some station I've never seen before.

The door opened and Adrian walked in holding a bag. He placed the bag on the floor and walked up to me.

"What are you looking at?" He asked. I showed him the picture.

"I know that is you in the middle. But, who are these people?"He gently took the picture from my hand and observed it. A small smile playing on his face.

"That was them. The humans are Shun, Robert, and Stephanie." No way. So that is what they looked like. It was nice, in its own way, to have a face on the three Adrian called friends.

"What about the other three?" I asked.

"That is Kadick, Reina, and Nalik."

"So those are the ones that trained you?" He nodded.

"Kadick trained me in weapons and some forms of hand to hand. Reina was agility, endurance, and strength. And Nalik, well he was Tech." He put the picture down on the table. He was thinking about something, probably about them. He looked up for a moment, mumbling something. I couldn't pick up what he was saying. He then looked at me, smiled and kissed my fore head.

"Come here, I got you something." I raised an eye brow.

"More presents Adrian? Sooner or later I'm going to have to pay you back."

"No you won't. I won't let you." He picked the bag and placed it on the counter. He motioned me to come closer, and when I did he pulled out a white leather jacket with black trimming. It was gorgeous. And a perfect fit apparently. It was comfortable and pretty light for a leather jacket. I looked at him and smiled.

"Thanks Adrian. I really like it." He walked up and wrapped his arms around me.

"Anything to put a smile on your face," he said with a smile on his face. He squeezed his embrace a little then he released. "Come on, Nalik called while I was on my way back. And seeing how I don't won't to head to his place alone…" I giggled.

"You want me to go with you." He chuckled.

"Yeah, pretty much. That and I doubt you would like staying here all day." I shook my head.

"Not one bit. Let's go."

We left his apartment, with our new jackets on. If there is one thing I would say, is that even though we were together in a way, we didn't really do couple stuff outside his apartment, aside from buying each other stuff and going out. More like the little things like holding hands for example. It was annoying in a way, but at the same time, we agreed to keep it secret for awhile. Especially if there so happens to be a reporter around. Being the first human Spectre kind of puts you on the A-list. Anyway, it wouldn't hurt to much if we, I don't know, hold hands at least. His hands were in his pockets, so I doubt we will anytime soon.

Adrian said that Nalik lived in the Presidium commons so we will have to take either the elevator or a transit system, and seeing how there were huge lines at the transit station, we were going to have to take the elevator. I'm not too sure why there are huge lines today, but oh well.

We entered an elevator that would take us to the Presidium Common's. There were a few people in the elevator as well, but they didn't seem to care or notice us, which is fine by me. We stood silently, admiring any view the elevator would offer of the wards. Didn't beat the view Adrian's apartment had, but still, it was amazing. As we were waiting for the elevator to stop I felt a tug on my arm, and a hand wrapping around my own. I looked to see Adrian's hand and fingers intertwined with my own. I looked up at him, and he just looked forward. For a moment he had a serious face, but then a small smile played on his lips. I couldn't help but smile either, and hand in hand, we waited out the small elevator trip.

I've never really seen the Presidium Common's until now. Pretty similar with the embassies, only with some markets, a café, and apartments. We explored a little on the way to Nalik's penthouse. Adrian just informed about that. Nalik lived at the very top of his apartment building in the penthouse room. I was impressed, but Adrian told me to hold any expectations until I've actually seen the apartment.

As we were walking, I caught a few people staring at us. Mainly human and Asari, but they were staring none the less. It took me awhile until I figured out that Adrian and I were still holding hands. Guess people didn't expect me to have an unofficial boyfriend. Some people would whisper, although I couldn't really hear what they were saying, and would watch us. Adrian didn't seem to mind it though. He just kept looking forward, or look at a sign with the latest advertisement for an arms company. We would stop every once and awhile and look at a shop for a bit, then keep on walking.

By the time we got to Nalik's building, I was use to the stares, so catching two guys staring and talking only made me chuckle a little. They were military, since they had dress blues on. Probably on leave and trying to pick up girls. They probably couldn't believe that Commander Shepard was holding hands with a "civilian". If they only knew about this "civilian."

Nalik's building wasn't as tall as a majority of the towers in the Presidium, but it was still pretty tall. We had to ride the elevator again, only this time, Adrian had to punch in a code in order to get to Nalik's penthouse. The elevator here was a lot faster than the Citadel elevators. Once the doors opened, I was greeted with the soft smell of rain. Surkesh was a rainforest world, and seeing how Nalik is a Salarian, I wasn't surprised. We entered into what looked like the main living room. It was huge, bigger than Adrian's apartment.

"What did you say Nalik did for a living?" I asked, earning a small chuckle from Adrian.

"He is a weapons and armor inventor. He was former STG but left after an injury. He is good people, so don't worry." Figured. STG are like the N7 for Salarian. Benefits and hell of a good pay. But still. I don't think my pay check would be able to afford this. The room was spacious. A small area what into the floor and was lined with couches and a small table in the center. There were some tables and chairs here and there, and a few lounge chairs overlooking the view. The decoration was artful. Some pictures and paintings probably of Surkesh, and some plants on shelves and tables. There was a staircase that lead to an upper area, which Adrian pointed out to be Nalik's "bedroom".

"Hey Nalik! It's me Adrian!" Adrian shouted out.

"I'm in the workshop!" a high pitched voice said, coming from a room on the far end of the living area.

"Come on," Adrian said. The door to the room was open, but it was dark with strange blue lights flashing. I could hear the sound of terminals and machinery humming. I was a little scared, and I squeezed Adrian's hand. He chuckled again and gave a reassuring squeeze. At least he made me feel safe.

Now, when Adrian said to hold my expectations on the penthouse, I didn't think he would mean for my mind to be blown. The room was smaller but still big. And was filled with machinery used to make armor and weapons. The walls were decorated with weapons and pieces of armor of all kinds from varying species. There was a workbench with an Avenger rifle dismantled for modifications to be added. In the center of the room were three machines. The right was probably used to build armor. The left machine was obviously used to build weapons since there were barrels and clips on top of it. And the middle was probably were Nalik drew his designs. The room was amazing.

We heard a small crash and some cursing coming the end of the room. There was a Salarian, messing with some on a workbench. He was wearing Salarian armor, which was in a Teal color. From what I could tell he had pale green skin and was about my height. As we got closer, we let go of our hands, and Adrian cleared his throat to earn the attention of Nalik. The Salarian quickly turned, and gave a sweet smile.

"Adrian, glad to have you back." He looked over to me. "And who is your friend here? A new girlfriend?" He chuckled, and I blushed a little at the question. First time someone acknowledge me as Adrian's girlfriend. Adrian laughed a little and put his hand up.

"Nalik. Allow me introduce Commander Eden Allison Shepard." I smiled. Adrian remembered my middle name. He asked about it yesterday. Nalik's eyes widened, which was amazing seeing that Salarian's already have large enough eyes. Nalik quickly brushed his hands with a towel and quickly grabbed my own and shook them.

"A huge honor Commander. Never would of believed to meet the first human Spectre, and in my own home as well. Oh, where are my manners. I'm Nalik Vernolus, but you may call me Nalik. Former STG and now weapons maker. Adrian speaks very highly of you." I chuckled at Nalik's little greeting. As polite as ever, the Salarians are. No surprise there.

"A pleasure to meet you Nalik. And please, just Eden." Nalik smiled and nodded. Then he had a look of confusion. He looked at me, then at Adrian.

"Adrian? Is it custom for human soldiers to hold their C.O's hand?" he asked. Adrian gave a nervous chuckle. I looked at him, and he looked at me. I gave a slight sigh and a shrug.

"The part where you said that she may have been a new girlfriend. Well, you were right about that." Nalik gave a slight gasp, and then smiled.

"Really?! How wonderful! About time Adrian met someone new. I'm happy for the both of you. Instant approval Ms. Eden." I laughed.

"Thank you Nalik. Feels good to have someone's approval. Other's might not like the fact that I'm dating the infamous Spade."

After saying that, Nalik's smile slowly faded, and his head slightly went down. That caused some concern, to both of us I'm sure.

"About that." Nalik turned and went to what looked like another workbench, and took out Adrian's helmet. It was unchanged, except for a bullet hole. "I was working on a new pistol design, and while I was working, there was a discharge and… Well, you can tell."

Adrian had a stone face, and he slowly took the helmet out of Nalik's hands. He looked at it for a moment. I, and I'm sure Nalik, felt terrible. That helmet was more than a tool, it was an identity. The name Spade was shaped with that helmet. It is what made him, and if that helmet goes, so does Spade. I looked at Adrian. His face was emotionless. He was hard to read at times, and this was one of those times. He took a breath.

"You know what this means, right Nalik?" Nalik looked at him, a small smirk on his face. He knew what Adrian was speaking of. I on the other hand, had no clue. Adrian looked up, and started to laugh. It wasn't a crazy sort of laughter, but a relieved one. "This means I'm finally free."

"Free?" I asked out loud. Nalik stepped forward.

"Allow me to explain. As you know, that helmet is what created Spade, and in a sense, took over Adrian's identity. Adrian and I talked about it earlier when he came back for RnR. All the memories, all the turmoil he had endured was because of that helmet. It was like a cell, a cage, locking Adrian away. And now that it is incapable of further use, it is like he is finally free."

I see. Even though that helmet was a key to Adrian's arsenal, it was also a chain. Holding him down from his humanity. I'll admit, he was good at hiding it these past months, but my god, at least he could of told me. That helmet was probably the vessel holding all his memories. Because of that helmet he lost Stephanie and probably others close to him. And seeing his smiling face, it was evident that he felt free. I couldn't help but feel a warmth at this feeling.

"I'm curious. What kind of pistol were you trying to build?" Adrian asked. Always the curious one. I'll admit I was curious as well, but I thought it was best not to ask. Nalik beamed at the question, and motioned us to follow him. Adrian placed the helmet down on the workbench, and we followed him. He lead us across the room to a large vault. He entered a series of codes, and the vault hissed open. A cool air escaped from the vault, seending shivers down my spine. Adrian noticed and wrapped his arms around me. He was happy, happier than I've seen him. He really did feel free.

The vault opened up to another room. How many rooms are in this apartment? As we walked in, there were weapons and armor I've never seen before. Some of the weapons looked almost medieval and some I had no idea how to explain. Adrian and Nalik walked towards a part of the room. Even though I was interested in what Nalik was about to show him, I wanted to explore a bit.

Adrian's POV

I notice Eden walk off to look at the wide range of what Nalik has been building. Most of the weapons here didn't work, and if they did, Nalik would have giving them to someone. Still, I was all giddy inside at the fact that I may be getting a new weapon. Sicarius was badass, but another badass weapon? I could die happy.

Speaking of happy, Eden and I. Who would of thought, huh? It is still hard to believe, but at the same time it feels right. I know I said I shouldn't get close with her, but after the first day of RnR everything changed. Bringing the memory of Stephanie's death, Eden's "spontaneous confession", and us actually sharing a bed. No sex, just sleep. Had to clarify, you know. And if I had to say, I couldn't be happier. I know I could be putting her at risk, but somehow, I knew she knew. And she accepted that. And I could accept that grace she has offered to me.

And, to add, I feel free. I never realized until Nalik and I talked earlier this morning, but the helmet is a symbol of my distress. A symbol of my own darkness. Don't get me wrong, it is still there. But I feel lifted. I know in my heart and spirit I'm still chained, but knowing that some of those chains are broken only gives me hope. Eden and I together, the helmet being destroyed. Those situations broke chains. There may be more, but I'm ready to face it.

Now, back to this new weapon. Nalik walked up to a shelf and brought out two identical pistols. At first glance they looked like revolvers, however, these were far from the actually thing. For one, they were larger than standard revolvers. They were about the same size as my Phalanx except the barrel was longer by a good six inches. Recoil must be a bitch. Another thing was that they had a black over coating, with some gold lining, and a symbol of what looked like a bird also in gold on the sides. Both pistols were gorgeous, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited.

"These are beautiful Nalik. I almost don't want to take them with me. Hey Eden, check it out." She was looking at what looked like a cross bow gun before I called her. She looked at the pistols and her eyes widened a bit.

"Wow, nice work Nalik. I'm almost jealous Adrian get's the fancy weapons." She said with a smirk. That all to famous smirk… Anyway. Nalik seemed to perk up hearing her say that.

"Well, if there is anything that peaks your interest Ms. Eden, I would be happy to give. Of course, some of these weapons and armor are models, but I would be happy to manufacture them." Eden giggled a bit.

"You are too sweet Nalik, and thank you, but I think Adrian deserves it more than I do. Poor guy is going to need all the help he can get." Her tone was teasing yet playful.

"Careful Eden. I may be a scarred man, but I have tricks up my sleeve you haven't seen yet." I gave her a wink and she rolled her eyes. I turned when I heard Nalik clear his throat to get my attention.

"Anyway, I named the two pistol's the Hawkeye Revolvers. Reason's are is the bird symbol. It is based of Earth's Golden Eagle, an avian species on your planet. They are light, same material I used for Sicarius, and hold six shots each. They pack a punch, so I added a recoil damping mod. Aside from that, they are basic pistols. Oh and before, I forget they only work in unison and with a certain armor I designed for a matching set."

"You mean this armor Nalik?" I heard Eden said. I turned, with a brow raised. Eden was looking at some armor that I couldn't see. It was in some sort of case. Nalik however grinned and walked towards her. The guy was having a field day, that is for sure.

"Good find Ms. Eden. This is the Hawkeye armor I designed in conjunction with the pistols. Come Adrian, you must see your new armor."

New armor, huh? Better be worth it. As I headed towards them, pistols still in hand, I was thinking about what the armor may look like. Hearing Hawkeye, made me think that it would be a goofy purple outfit, which I hope it wasn't. Don't get me wrong, Hawkeye is my favorite super hero aside from Iron Man and Wolverine, but that suit. Not my favorite. What I saw, completely blue away my expectations.

Now, Nalik has a love for Human culture. History, cultures, literature, and apparently movies. The armor I was looking at looked like something from Star Wars. And I say that because the armor looked Mandalorian. Which is awesome, because who doesn't want to be Jango Fett? Guess I'm changing from Assassin to a Cajun Mandalorian Paladin. Damn, life is good.

The armor was had a similar coloration as the pistols. Black coating, mainly on the main part of the armor. The chest plate, part of the vambraces, and gauntlets. And gold as an extra color. The synthetic weave underneath the armor was gold, almost a brass looking color. Chest plate was black, along with the shoulder guards. The upper arm brace was also black, and the gauntlets were black with gold lining. The gloves were similar to the gauntlets, however on the finger tips were small sensors. Probably for the pistols. The thighs were black, and the knee guards were more gold with a slight hint of black. And the boots were black, while the sole of the boots were gold. The helmet had a pitch black visor, and the outline was gold. The "cheeks" of the helmet were black, while the top was gold. The last thing I noticed was the same bird symbol on the top left of the chest plate. Aside from armor, there was also a belt with two holsters, for the pistols obviously, and some pouches for clips and grenades. What I did notice was that attached to the bottom of the chest plate was a type of decorative cloth. The cloth covered both sides of the legs, and from the front and stretched to about half way of the calve. It too was black, with gold trimming.

Overall, the armor was definitely battle ready. And was pretty damn beautiful, if I may add. Eden was eyeing it as well, and she smiled excitedly. She was happy for me, that was for sure.

"Now, the pistols and the suit work in conjunction, and are part of a set," Nalik started.

"Wait, a set?" I asked. Nalik nodded.

"Yes. I am also designing an assault rifle for it, but it is still a work in progress. Either way, the pistol's and the armor are yours." I nodded my thanks, and strapped the Hawkeye Revolvers on my side, hidden of course. Don't want C-Sec getting suspicious.

"Thanks Nalik. I promise to take extra care of these beauties." Nalik put a hand up.

"Not yet, there is one more thing. Extend your arm and let me see your omnitool." I shrugged and complied. I activated my omnitool, extended my arm, and watch Nalik go to work. I couldn't really tell what he was doing. I looked at Eden, and she just shrugged. She was just as curious as I was. Nalik was typing away on my omnitool.

"There, all finished." I looked at my omnitool.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Added some new Tech programs, and replaced some as well." I sighed, and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Really Nalik? You'll never let me enjoy the fun of adding Tech, huh?" He just laughed. Slimy bastard.

"I replaced your Incineration Tech with a Flamer Tech. I'd also added two new Tech I'd like you to experiment with. The first is called Ballistic Blades. It is pretty much a shot gun with never ending ammo. The other is a new Omni-Bow. Your omnitool will form into a bow like gauntlet, and you may shoot an omnigel like projectile from a considerably long distance."

"Long distance? Does this mean I have to return the Sicarius rifle?" I asked.

"Sadly, yes. I was running the numbers, and I found that the drum of the rifle is… well volatile. It will eventually turn into a time bomb. I must have it ASAP before something happens." Okay, that scared me. Knowing that I had a ticking time bomb on my back, seriously worried me. At least, I was getting new toys to replace the rifle.

Curiously, I activated the Omni-bow. My omnitool formed into a crossbow gauntlet. I started to apply pressure with my finger, and the bow started to wind itself and I could see the omnigel forming into a hardened bolt. When I released my finger, the bolt flew and stuck to the wall. Awesome! Nalik jumped, and quickly put my arm down.

"Adrian! Please, refrain yourself from practicing in my house!" he yelled. I just laughed a little. I looked at Eden and she gave me a look. I let out a breath, and retracted my omnitool. I would of checked out the Ballistic Blades, but I doubt Nalik would like that. Eden and I left the vault, while Nalik was packing the armor in a case to have it sent to the Normandy. The pistols were safely hidden on my sides. Can't be too careful.

As we waited, I looked over and saw my old helmet staring at me. I walked up to it, and picked it up. This helmet had many memories. Many dark memories. Aside from the bullet hole, there were plenty of scratches and a large scorch mark on it. It got me thinking.

"Hey Nalik! What are you going to do with the helmet?!" I called from my side of the room. He was closing the vault. Eden looked at me with a curious look. I just gave a wink and a small smile. I had something to do.

"Nothing, probably destroy it, and make something new of it. Why?"

"Is it alright if I take it with me?" Nalik looked at me. He was quiet for a few moments.

"Very well. It was yours to begin with." He turned to Eden. "As for the armor, I will have it sent to the Normandy." Eden nodded and smiled.

"That would be great Nalik. Thank you." Nalik nodded.

He walked us to the elevator as we were leaving.

"It was nice to see you again Adrian. And a pleasure to meet you Ms. Eden. I wish you both luck in the mission, as well as in your relationship. And you watch out for Adrian. He has a tendency to be reckless." Eden chuckled.

"Oh, I know he can be. Don't worry, I'll keep my eye on him." She looked at me, and I looked back at her. I took her hand in my own.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." I looked back at Nalik. "See you Nalik. Tell Kadick and Reina I said hello." Nalik nodded and gave a wave when the doors closed.

When we left the building we were crossing the lake. Eden received a call from Kaidan. He invited all of the ground team to meet at a bar and restaurant. One that allowed Krogan AND Quarian. He said that it would be good to have everyone together for a while. Made sense in a way. Even though some of us didn't trust each other fully, we are still a team. Hell, Ashley doesn't trust any of the aliens, Wrex and Garrus are still taking time, and Every human except for Doc, Tiffany, Joker, and Eden still doesn't trust me.

Anyway, we were heading towards the place now. As we were crossing the bridge I looked at the lake, and could feel the folded helmet on my waist. I stopped, and looked at the blue water. Eden stopped as well and looked at me.

"Adrian?" she asked. I placed my hand on the helmet. There was something I needed to do.

"You go on ahead Eden. There is something I have to do."

Eden POV

I walked into the restaurant, alone. I couldn't say why Adrian wanted to be alone, but I didn't pry. Couldn't really see why it would be necessary. As I walked in, I was pleasently surprised to see some of the crew there. And of course the ground team as well. Tiffany and Joker were there sitting at a large table were everyone on the ground team was at. I saw Kadian stand up and he walked towards me.

"Hey Commander," he said with a smile. I mentally sighed. No one calls me Eden, except Adrian. But what really surprised me was the small hug Kadian gave me. I immediately stiffened, and my face flushed. Even though I knew that me and Adrian being together was secret, I forgot that the crew didn't know. I pated his back, and he let go. I caught some of the cadets that were stationed with us snickering. Assholes.

He lead me to the table where the ground was. It was a large booth that could fit the ground team and probably two more. Adrian and I Wrex was seated at one end with Tali at his left. Garrus was seated next to her, then Tiffany, Ashley, and Liara. Joker was in a special wheel chair. He would later tell me that Tiffany threatened to break his legs if he didn't use it for RnR. I almost forgot that Joker invited Tiffany to be his "RnR Buddy". Poor girl. There was space for three more, and the way Kadian was standing, he wanted me to take a seat.

I frowned a bit and looked at the doorway. Hoping that Adrian would walk in and that we can take a seat next to each other. But he didn't, and I didn't want to be rude towards Kadian. He was being polite. I took my seat next to Liara, and then Kadian sat as well. A bit too close for comfort however.

The group talked a bit to each other about what they have done so far. It was slightly awkward at first, but we somehow managed. It has been two months, and fighting together has been forming a bond of sorts with each other. I sat quietly, just listening. So far no one has asked about what I was doing, and I was fine with that.

"Where did you get that jacket Commander?" asked Kadian. Damnit. I looked at him for a moment, and then around the booth. Everyone was looking at me, waiting for me to answer. Talk about pressure. I was about to answer until we heard one of the waitresses greet someone. We all looked, and I was ecstatic to see Adrian. He looked our way, and nodded. He said something to the waitress, and headed over. I noticed Kadian let out a sigh and saw him cross his arms. From the call, Kadian hinted that he didn't want Adrian to show up. He never mentioned him when he talked to me about everyone meeting. Guess he still doesn't like Adrian.

On the Normandy, he would always have an opinion about Adrian. Like he is a criminal and deserves to be locked away, or that he can't be trusted. Things like that. And the fact that Adrian and I would always talk between missions didn't sit well with Kadian either.

"Hey guys. Hope I wasn't too late," he said. His hands in his jacket pockets, and a small sincere smile on his face.

"Not at all Dawn. I was patient," said Wrex. He and Adrian have become something of friends. Wrex mainly admired Adrian's burns, but also Adrian's courage. After Therum Wrex was told what happened and he later told me that not even some Krogan would do something like that, and that Adrian had a "quad" on him. And Feros seemed to only add respect apparently. Adrian chuckled a little.

"Good to know Wrex."

"Nice jacket. Where did you get it?" asked Joker.

"Forgot the store, but Eden got it for me since my old was ripped up back on Feros." Some nodded, but majority looked at me.

"You got him a jacket?" asked Kadian in a whisper. Although, it was more of a remark, and not really a whisper since the others were staring. I took a breath.

"It was to replace his damaged one, besides I owe him something for what he has done," I said. Kadian gave me a look, but didn't say anything. I looked at Adrian, and he made a funny face, forcing me to smile. He took a seat next to Kadian, completing the seating arrangement, much to my displeasure. I wanted to sit next to Adrian. It was slightly quiet. There was a moment when the same waitress that greeted Adrian when he arrived showed up, giving him a glass of whiskey. It was also a bar.

"I have an idea, how about a picture?" asked Tiffany. Ashley nodded.

"That sounds like a good idea. We are the team that is going to kick Saren's ass, and I would want to remember it." The others nodded and voiced agreement. I looked over at one of the Cadets that was seated at another booth.

"Hey Cadet, may you take a quick picture of us for a second?" The cadet looked over and nodded. We all readied ourselves, smiles and smirk on most of our faces. Aside from the ground team, Tiffany and Joker would be in it as well. And if felt right to have them. The cadet counted to three and took the picture with his omnitool. He then sent the picture to all of us. I brought up my omnitool and pulled up the picture. It was simple, yet sweet. All of us sitting together, our faces smiling. Even though there was distrust amongst some of us, we were kind of like a family. A disfunctional family, but a family none the less. I saved the picture and looked over to see Adrian doing the same.

After the picture we all talked, ate, and drank. A part of me wanted to switch places with Kadian, but at the same time I felt like I shouldn't. As we were talking we heard someone rush to the bartender. He was saying that something was happening. The bartender switched the channel on the television screen and turned up the volume. It was the news, and apparently C-Sec found something.

"I'm Emily Wong, reporting with breaking news. The helmet that supposedly belonged to infamous assassin Spade, was found earlier today. Reports say that the helmet was badly damaged, and that a bullet hole was found. C-Sec is investigating and we will give you an update soon."

The table was quiet, and everyone looked at Adrian. I was stunned. So that's is what he did at the bridge.

"Adrian? What happened?" asked Tiffany. Adrian had his eyes clothes, and a smile on his face. That trademark smile of his.

"Just letting go of the old Tiffany." He took a sip of his drink. "And accepting the new."

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**And that's a wrap! I would like to thank everyone who are following and reading this story. And twelve chapters! Who would of thought, huh? It is exciting that is for sure. A quick shout out to Vinom11 for creating the image for Adrian's new armor. It is on DeviantART and is called the Sith Mandalorian. You guys should check it out, it is an amazing work of art. Anyway, to the two important things I'm going to say.**

**One: The Reckoning DLC. Alright, so this DLC is awesome! I seriously recommend downloading it ASAP. The new characters are amazing. The one I unlocked was both Cabal Vanguard, and Talon Mercenary. The Cabal Vangaurd is a female Turian. Her main ability is Poison strike. Basically a Biotic Charge but with an added Poison damage. She also has Nightshade Blades, which are like Ballistic Blades but with poison. Now the Talon Mercenary is another awesome one. Basically the guys in Bioware put Hawkeye into the game. He is the one that introduced the Omni-Bow. It replaces melee with the bow. There are two specail types of arrows. Concussive and Armor Piercing. He also as special mine that deals hell of a lot of damage. They are called Cain-Trip Mines. I give this DLC a two thumbs up, and a Kad Dawn approval. Also I'm on xbox and my Gamertag is AubeCredo if anyone is up to play. Just note that I do not have a working mic so don't expect me to talk. I will send messages however.**

**Now for number two: NEW FIC on the way! New idea, new characters, and a new story line. It will follow the Mass Effect storyline, however it will be in the eyes of a certain character from the first game. That character will be Vigil, the Prothean V.I of Ilos and probably the best damn tune in gaming history. And the title would be Mass Effect: Awakening, so keep an eye out for it. That is all I'm going to say for know. I just wanted to announce that Adrian Dawn is not the only character getting some love. The reason why is that You never really see a Vigil themed fic. He may be a minor character, but a significant character none the less. He is a tragic character, the last voice of the Protheans before we meet Javik. And I want to give Vigil his time in the limelight. This is still a work in progress, hell it is a brand new idea, so their may be changes on the way. I just want to give you an idea of things to come.**

**FUNFACT: Did you know that if you are on the main menu of Mass Effect 3, and you listen carefully you can barely hear the Vigil theme. Pretty cool if I say so myself. I mean think about it, it is the Theme of ME1. In ME2 it represented the characters from ME1, and in ME3 it represented the sacrifices and achievments of many (Mordin anyone?). So yeah, check out ME3's menu screen and have a listen. It is very faint so you might have to turn up your T.V's but it is there. **

**Anyway, thanks again for reading. Keep on reading, and Stay sexy ;)**

**KD**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello and welcome to Chapter 13 of Mass Effect: Spade. Okay so, I really don't have much to write on Author's Notes. Hmm? I had a good day? No, that sounds selfish... Did you all have a good day? Yeah, that sounds right. How is ya'lls days going? :D**

**Yeah I really don't have much for the top. Check the bottom for author's notes :P Anyway. Enjoy this next chapter of Mass Effect: Spade.**

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Chapter 13: I hate the cold…

Adrian POV

Well, RnR is over, and we are back on the Normandy. And honestly, I'm glad to get back to it. New gear, new weapons, new Tech. Why wouldn't I be ready for a mission, or five. Not only that, but RnR was needed for myself. Yeah, the others needed a break, but me? I needed a damn reality check. Even though it was a week, a lot happened.

One, Eden and I. Never would of thought it would happen. But it did. And I'm not complaining. There is only one thing that sucks. I can't tell her the whole truth about me. At least not yet. She asked about my childhood, and I would tell her. It would just be a modified version of my story so it could match. And so far it is working. But how long can I lie to her? Yeah, my last career is based on lies, and deception, but I'm not that person anymore. I don't know. I guess I'm scared. Hard to believe, huh? My journey in this universe was, is, hard. I'm lucky to be alive. I've faced things that I doubt the hero's of my time can face. And I'm scared? Yeah, I am. Scared that I might lose probably the best thing that has happened to me.

Huh? The way I worded that… Almost sounds like I'm in love. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. I will protect her though. Mission or not.

That's another thing I haven't told her yet. The Organization. And honestly, how can I explain that if I don't even have a clue. All I know is that they are nothing but special forces that are very good at hiding, I think. This is enough to cause a headache, so change of subject.

Right now, I'm in Deck three, checking over my newly founded armor. Hard to believe that Nalik was able to make Mandalorian like armor. Now, I'm a huge Star Wars nerd, so seeing that infamous Mandalorian T-visior look down at me was like a dream come true. And the fact that it is mine, makes it even sweeter. Not only that, but it has that feel that it is Mandalorian. Like it belonged to a badass mercenary and has been passed down from generation to generation. And even though I'm all for style, adding a few scratches and burns will add some character.

As for checking the armor, I mainly mean looking over it, and making sure it is battle ready. From what I can tell, and a quick scan of my omnitool, the armor has a bit of extra strength to it than most. And it is light. Figured since it was built by a Salarian. They always have light material in their things. And they are pretty damn light themselves. Another thing I checked were shields. Any protection I can get and utilize is a bonus right now. The shields were standard military, but I was hooked up.

Remember my old shield that got burned out on Feros? Get this, Tali and Adams were able to fix it up. Surprising? Probably not. Awesome? Fuck yeah! The only thing I need to do was install it. And that is what I'm doing. Sitting in Deck three, with some badass looking armor, installing a shield. Now, let me explain something. You know how in Mass Effect you can add upgrades by a push of a button? Yeah, if only it was that easy. Hell, I wish for it! And no, it isn't easy as one, two, three. More like one, two, three all the way to one fucking hundred. And, if I do anything wrong, a number of things can happen. From the shield not working, to me getting shocked, or and this is my favorite, it exploding. Yeah, not so easy.

As I was install I got some looks from some of the crew and cadets. Although I am use to the "Dirty Mercenary" remarks, some of their looks are more bewilderment then dirty. Most of it was because my helmet was found in the Presidium lake. With a bullet hole. Many questioned why, but being the asshole I am, I just ignore them. In fact I've actually never talked to any of the cadets except for Tiffany and the Requisitions Officer, Dave. He is actually a pretty cool guy. Helped get a stabilizer mod for my SMG.

Speaking of weapons, I had to return the Sicarius. Sucks, but I'm actually relieved. Apparently the drum mechanism Nalik installed into it could turn into a Cain missile launcher. That's right. A fucking nuke! A few more uses and BOOM! There goes Adrian! It was a badass rifle, don't get me wrong. Awesome memories, and kill shots with that gun. But, like I told Tiffany at that bar. I'm letting go of the old, and accepting the new. Besides, I got a badass Omni-bow that I really want to use.

Anyway, what was I talking about again? Oh right, the looks. Aside from the crazed looks about the helmet, apparently there is a rumor going around. And it involves me and two other people. Now the stories vary but they are still there. One is about Eden and Kadian. She told me what happened at the bar. How he hugged her and all. And of course word is going around that they are something. But that's not even half of it. The other side is about me and Eden. Apparently, some of the Cadet's have seen me and Eden together at the Wards, and are saying that we are together. I'm not saying they are wrong. In fact they are right, but the consequence in this rumor, is what a lot of people are saying.

Thanks to a certain Krogan and Quarian intel, some Cadet's are saying that a fight may just break out. Between me and Kadian. Not only that, but about all the cadet's want it to happen. And of course, they want him to win. Well, Tiffany has my back. In a way. She is Alliance first, but she actually knows me. Joker is also neutral, but he sort of said that I might win, on the count that, and these are his words, that I'm Cajun. Probably a snarky remark, but hell I'll take it. The only one who actually said had my back, was Wrex. Surprised? Me too. When the Krogan said he had MY back, I almost had a heart attack and my burns flaring at the same time.

Now, he did say that he wouldn't fight my battles, just scare people from jumping in. He said that he wanted to see "the pyjacks scurrying over a mate"… yeah, Wrex said that. But I'll give it to him. He is a badass. And pretty chatty once you get to know him. He told me that another reason why people want Kadian to "kick my ass", is because I have no respect, and I disrespect Eden. Seriously? I have the upmost respect for her. Hell, it is respectful that I acknowledge her by the name she was giving. If I find whoever started THAT rumor, I'm so going to use him as target practice. The Ballistic Blades are crying for some action. Wrex even volunteered to hold the person down. That and he actually said that he never felt how Ballistic Blades feel. Guy is crazy, but then again, there is Grunt. So I guess I'm lucky.

"What you working on little varren?" I jumped at the booming voice and turned to see Wrex. Little varren is the new nickname he gave me. Joy…

"Just installing a shield to my armor." I said after a few breaths. He looked over my armor.

"So this is your new armor. Eden said something about you getting new armor." Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. Eden and I got to spend some time with Wrex during RnR. It was hell of fun. Guy wouldn't take shit from no one, and the fact that he thought fish were in the lake was hilarious. Not only that, but Eden told him that he is allowed to call her by her first name. And, he kind of, sort of, almost, actually figured us out… Wasn't my fault! Eden was the one that grabbed my hand! Honest! He is cool about it though, and he promised not to say. …Wonder how long that is going to last…

"Is there a reason why the armor has a dress on it?" he asked. I sighed. Thankfully, I finished installing my shield. I stood up and walked beside him so that I may take a look at my armor.

"It isn't a dress. Just some decoration," I said. Probably not the best defense.

"Uh-huh. It's a dress."

"No it's not. It's… Ceremonial." What? Even that sounded wrong. He gave me a look. That bullshit look. And he pulls it off so well.

"Ceremonial, huh? For what?" Shit. Think fast Adrian. Think fast.

"Mandalorian culture." What the fuck! Noooooo!

"The what?" Don't make it any worse Dawn.

"It's a dream of mine." FFFFFFFFUUUUUUUU- "At some point, after all this, I want to start something big. A new faction of warriors. A guild so to speak. A culture so feared it equals the Krogan." -UUUUUUUUUUKKKKKKK. Oh shit, I just dug a huge hole for myself. No scratch that. A fucking grave! Wrex just looked at me. And I kid you not, nodded.

"Sounds ambitious little varren. Sounds like you want to create your own people." Oh god, he is actually taking it. Okay, okay, just roll with it.

"Probably, but after seeing some of things I've seen during my assassin work, I want to change that. I want to form a faction that people can actually believe in. Fight against slavers, the gangs, all of that. And one where everyone is welcome. Not just humans or turians, but everyone else. Krogan, Batarian, Drell, everyone." Wrex nodded at that and looked at the armor.

"You think there is room for this old Krogan to join." What? I looked at him in disbelief.

"You actually think I can pull that off Wrex?" He chuckled, which is more of that famous, or infamous, chuckle he has in the games.

"Believe it or not little varren, yeah, I believe you can. You, and Eden, have that spark of a warrior and true leader. You may not realize it, but it's there. And if this war ends up with us winning, I'm sure a lot of people would answer the call. Besides, this "Mandalorian" stuff sounds pretty interesting. You got the time, I would like to learn more about it."

I'll admit, I was shocked. The most badass Krogan in the galaxy. No, one of THE most badass video game characters actually believes in me. It was an honor. I grinned. Thinking about teaching Mandalorian culture in Mass Effect sounded more crazy than ambitious. But if one person believes in me than hell, might as well try.

"Well, if you are up for it, I'll be down to show you what I know." Wrex nodded and gave a smile. Every Krogan smile looks evil, but hey, it's a badass evil smile. He started to walk off, and he put his hand up.

"Just as long as you don't put a dress on me." I laughed and face palmed. Damn that man. Always able to put a remark on everything. The Joker for the Krogan people.

Still… creating a people? Am I really that ambitious, or just that crazy? Yeah, when I was younger I wrote a story about creating something like the Mandalorian's in my universe. And, I'll admit, when I said that I was a Star Wars nerd, I really meant Mandalorian Star Wars nerd. After seeing Jango and Boba Fett, and reading Karen Traviss's books and the comics, I was hooked. To the point of learning everything I can about them. To how parenting works, strength of brotherhood, their honor system, parts of the language, down to the meaning of certain colors. Like my armor for instance. Gold stands for vengeance and black for justice. Which is strange how Nalik was able to do that. I'm down for taking out the people who sold me and my old squad down, slavers piss me off, and that fact that Eden could have been kidnapped by slavers only fuels the fire. But I wouldn't just go down in a raging fire. I would want something done. Some form of reprisal for an individual's crimes.

Huh. Maybe there is a little Mandalorian in me. I guess. But still. Creating something like that in Mass Effect? I'll be breaking so many canon rules. Not only that, but creating a culture, a people. Can it be done? I may be ambitious, but I'm not crazy. Okay, maybe a little crazy, but not that crazy. And there is always the fact that I may not even survive this. But if I do… No, it's crazy. I can't do it. But if I can?

Hold up. What if I can? I mean, think about it. Me being here is already breaking canon. Hell, Eden is suppose to be with either Kadian or Liara. And the mercenaries on Feros? Ieris? Wasn't even supposed to happen. But it did. Why? Because of me. I may not be big on the whole destiny thing, but maybe destiny has a plan for me. Maybe I'm meant to be here. All those other SI's had some being guiding them or telling them "Hey, this is going to happen, and you are going to do this." But me? I was only transported here by a gunsmith. That's it. No higher being, no avatar, nothing. Absolutely nothing. Just me and my own decisions. It may have taken me seven years to get that, but damn I'll roll with it.

And creating something like the Mandalorians? I'm not Jango Fett, and I'm certainly not Mandalor, but maybe I can start something. Cause some ripples before the big wave hits. I may have two years before ME2, but maybe that is all I need. I just have to have a little faith and ambition. And maybe some crazy mixed in.

Okay Adrian. Breath. One thing at a time. You need to survive this first, then you can play prophet.

"Dawn. You alright? You look pretty shaking up," I heard a voice beside me, shaking me from my muse. It was Ashley. To be honest, we really haven't conversed as much as I like. Not that I'm complaining. Was I really shaking? I looked at my hand, and sure enough it was quivering. Guess I got a bit too excited. I took a breath and gave the best "I'm okay" smile I can give.

"Hey Gunny. Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about what I can add to my Tech." Partly true. I'm working on adding some Tech into my omni-shield, Ballistic Blades, and bow.

"You don't have to lie Dawn. Something is bothering you. Is it the rumors?" You know what, Ms. Williams. I'll just go with that.

"Somewhat. The Tech part is true, but yeah. The rumors have reached my ear." She nodded and looked at my armor.

"I hate rumors. Nothing good ever happens." I nodded at that. Rumors cause way to much drama between people. High School anyone?

"I hear that. It just sucks that people are expecting me and Kadian to fight." She looked at me.

"I heard about that. Crazy how people would want that to happen. I mean yeah, I was a little bothered that you would call the Commander by her name, but now. It doesn't, part of it is because that is how the Commander is. And you aren't military. So, I don't see a problem with it." I chuckled a little.

"To bad the other cadets and ensigns don't see it that way." She nodded at that. Then she was quiet. Uh-oh. Something is one her mind. "If you need to say something Gunny, then say it. I may have live next to gators, but that doesn't mean I am one." Damn, my drawl was really thick at that. And she noticed to because she started to laugh a little.

"Damn that drawl was bad. But it adds to your charm." She laughed a little more, and I couldn't help but smile. At least one of the two humans is warming up to me. She eventually took a breath. "Sorry about that. I'm just curious. Are you and The Commander… well you know. Together?"

And this is why I hate rumors ladies and gentlemen. People start to think. And no, I'm not going to admit anything to Ashley. Wrex may now, but who can hide anything from him. Guy scares people to admit anything. Lucky for me, I already formed a backup.

"Eden and I may have spent some RnR together, but you have to remember. Tiffany and Joker did, and so did Garrus and Tali. And yet, you don't see them together." At least I don't think so. Garrus and Tali got into an argument on the last day of RnR. Remember those elevator rides with those two? Yeah, it happened. And caused a nasty argument between the two. It wouldn't affect the mission, but they aren't going to talk to each other anytime soon. As for Joker and Tiffany, I'll have to figure that on my own. Eden was curious about it also, but she is hell of busy.

Ashley nodded. "That makes sense." She paused for a moment, and looked over my armor. "Is that a dress?"

"Oh for the love of…" I took a breath. Easy Dawn. "You and Wrex. No it is not a dress." She opened her mouth to say something further but I put my hand up. "And no, I will not explain it any further." She closed her mouth, and I could see she was suppressing a laugh. She just nodded and went back to her station. I pinched the bridge of my nose. That's twice someone said that the cloth looks like a dress. Oh well, I deserved worse so I'll go with it.

I did a last minute check, making sure the shields were working correctly. My scans showed green for go, and my armor was all set. Perfect. Seeing that I was finished with my armor, I started taking it apart and placing it in my locker. Don't want anyone getting ideas with my armor. Once put away, I sat on a crate and pulled up my omnitool. I was still working on adding some mods and tweaking my new Tech. So far, I was able to make my omni-shield stronger and with the Ballistic Blades I added a little more bite for its bark. Either than that, still room for improvements.

I activated my bow, seeing how I haven't started anything on it. I had an idea for different types of arrows. The arrows were made of hardened omnigel, and omnigel can be manipulated to have certain affects. It may have been a nuisance in the game, but in life, hell of a lot more important. It is used to build grenades, clips, and others items. Pretty handy if you know how to work with it. Anyway, I'm getting off topic. The idea I have was creating something similar to my old Sicarius rifle, only without the explosive affect.

An added Overload tech would be handy against Geth and any other Synthetic enemies we will face. That and it is pretty basic Tech to work with and easy to apply. With some quick swipes and typing I was able to add the Overload affect. I looked over the bow. I hit a switch and I could see and feel the pulse of electricity surging. Good, it's working. Of course I need to test it out, but that will have to wait till a mission. Now, for one more addition.

Amp Tech, or Warp Tech, adds a biotic affect to certain Tech powers. Concussive shot can have it. Speaking of which I should talk to Garrus about that. Anyway, it doesn't give the user that Biotic edge. It only has a small fraction of the power, but not enough for extreme damage. If any, an Amp Tech adds a small Biotic push. However, the reason why I need an Amp Tech to my arrows is the after affect. Eden and I already talked about, and is something I really want to stress to any groups. By combining Tech and Biotics, or Biotics with Biotics, adds a nice explosive that can take down a larger target with ease. That, and if there is a group, it can thin the ranks very quickly. And, if used by the right people, can make any group unstoppable.

Tech combinations can work to. Tech Bursts, Fire and Cryo explosions are pretty much the same thing and can be easily triggered if used by the right people. So, adding an Amp Tech to my bow will help out in future missions.

As I was working on my Bow, some cadet's were walking by. Some of them noticed me and they started walking towards me. Great. For a little intimidation, I aimed my bow at them. Some of them stopped, by they still advanced. I still laughed at the faces they made. I kept on working. Amp Tech's are very complicated to program.

"Hey, Spade," one called out. I just kept my eyes on my bow.

"I don't go by that anymore. Dawn would do just fine."

"I wasn't asking what to call you. I just want your attention, so listen." Okay. I get it. Trying to be a badass huh. Alright. Let's see how you bit to pressure. I quickly stood up, omnitool quickly switching to my Ballistic Blades, and looked the Cadet square in the eyes. He was just a kid, probably twenty-two or three. Just to clarify I'm twenty-nine, a few months older than Eden. The cadet stood tall, and some of his buddies wooed and whistled. His eyes, however, told a different story. He was scared shitless. I smirked. Your mine now.

"You have my attention kid. So, what'll be?" Have you ever heard an angry Cajun speak? It is pretty damn scary. Course, I wasn't angry, just annoyed. His eyes flickered to my omnitool. It was now a large gauntlet with five blades ready to be launched at an unfortunate victim.

"N-no sir…?" he muttered.

"No? I thought you wanted to say something?" His buddies looked at him.

"Come on Louis, you can take him," one of the cadet's said. I looked at him.

"I doubt he can buddy." I looked back at the cadet. Louis. "Listen, Louis, I suggest you take off and leave me in peace. As you can see, I'm very busy." My tone was serious, and I a little threatening. He just nodded and motioned his buddies to leave. They took off, not without sending some looks my way. To add a little affect I made a threatening step forward, causing some to jump a little. That honestly made me laugh.

Once they were gone, I went back to my crate, omni-bow back up. I went back to work on the Amp Tech. Honestly, I didn't care what the other cadet's thought. I really didn't. I could care less if they hated me, loved me, or downright worshiped me. I don't care. Simple as that. I treated Tiffany differently because she pretty much saved my life. She and the Doc worked tooth and nail to make sure I didn't die back on Feros. That, and she is the only cadet that actually comes and talks to me.

"You handled that well." Speaking of the devil. Tiffany walked towards me, a datapad in her arms. I shrugged.

"Just a kid trying to act tough. Come to think of it, I didn't recognize him or his buddies."

"They are new recruits, transfer mainly. The one you "faced off" with is Louis Stevens. He is an engineer so expect to see him when you come down here." I sighed.

"Good to know. So, what are you doing down here?" Have to change the subject. I didn't really feel like talking about some kid who thinks he is a hotshot. Tiffany looked at the datapard for a moment then back at me.

"Just evaluations, for Louis and his friends as a matter of fact." Interesting.

"How did they do? Did Louis fail?" I said with a smirk. I was honestly joking but still, it would be nice to not see him again. Tiffany sighed.

"No, he didn't fail. They are all healthy and mentally sound. Although Louis is a bit a flirt. He couldn't keep his eyes away from my chest or legs. It was… uncomfortable." Okay, a little fun fact about myself. I hate it when other guys push a little too far. And being a guy and hearing what Louis was doing, I knew he only wanted to get into Tiffany's pants. Yeah, she is an attractive girl and any guy would be lucky to have her. But over the course of the mission, she has become somewhat of a little sister. So, yeah, I am protective.

"You want me and Wrex to scare him off?" She giggled.

"No, that won't be necessary, but I will keep that in mind." She looked away for a moment, then gave another sigh. "It just sucks to think that is all guys really want from me. Yeah, military life isn't the best for relationships, but it wouldn't hurt to meet someone who likes me for me."

I didn't see that coming. Especially from someone who is a licensed therapist. Guess we don't have all the answers after all.

"Hey, I'm sure there is a guy out there for you. You just haven't found him yet." I gave a reassuring smile, and she smiled back. She blushed a little, which is hard to spot in the dim lit room.

"Well, there is one guy…" Oh really?

"Oh yeah. Who?" She looked away.

"You'd laugh." Ouch. Now that hurt, a little.

"Come on Tiffany. I promise I won't laugh." She looked at me. Studied me more like it, figuring out what I would do. I just gave her a shrug and a smile. It's not like she is going to say-

"It's Joker." Oh shit.

Have you ever had that moment were the setting is really serious, but something funny happens and you try not to laugh. Yet, no matter how hard you try you can't help but let out a few giggles. Yeah, happening to me right now. And she noticed.

"Your laughing!" She exclaimed. I brought my hands up.

"Am not… I'm just… Really happy for you." Talking and holding laughter is not easy.

"Liar. You are holding your breath." I let out a few chuckles and snickers out. Then I took a breath to try an calm myself. Didn't work so well, seeing how I still had a dorky smile on my face.

"He isn't that bad Adrian. Yeah… He can be rude and sarcastic. And agues when it comes to personal care. But when you look past it, he is actually pretty sweet." Wow, she actually likes the guy. Don't get me wrong, Joker is an all time favorite character. I mean come on, it is Joker who is voiced by Seth Green. You just have to like him. I took a breath and gave her an genuine smile.

"Sounds like you really like him. Have you talked to him?" She looked at me wide eyed.

"No! Of course not, mission comes first. It would be morally wrong to do so."

"Uh huh. You're nervous."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Fine, then go talk to him then. Right now. I doubt you two talking would affect his work. Hell, maybe a morale booster for him." She looked at me for a few moments, then started taking off.

"Good day Adrian." I chuckled as she walked away. I was happy for her, honest. Yeah, a lot of people like Joker to be with EDI, but that ends when the Destroy option is picked. And right now, I'm going for that option. And in fact, maybe this is another part of canon that is affected because of me. I don't remember a Tiffany or a Louis in the game. And certainly a cadet having the hots for Joker. Ha, just thinking about makes me chuckle a little.

"**Will all the member of the ground team report to the Briefing Room. Will all the members of the ground team report to the Briefing Room." **

Time to go to work. I'll finish the Amp mod later. And maybe add some more strength to my shield. Maybe a Cryo tech, not sure. I walked into the elevator, and kept it open so that Wrex, Ash, Garrus, and Tali can get in. Tiffany wasn't there. Probably doing some more evaluation's. Wrex and I were in the back, leaning against the wall. I pulled up my omnitool to pass the time. Maybe a Cryo tech on the shield wouldn't be so bad. Wrex watched me work a little, but would then look off into space. Ashley stood at attention. She still isn't comfortable with aliens. And Garrus and Tali. On opposite sides of the elevator. Guess the argument was really that bad.

As the elevator opened we took off. Ashley jogged a little to catch up to Kadian. And I could see Liara walking out of the medbay with Liara. Now, most would be worried when an Asari talks to ones girlfriend or boyfriend. As for me. I trusted Eden, and I'm sure she trusts me. Maybe I should talk to her about Tiffany. Eden has been wanting to find someone for her, so the fact that she likes Joker may give Eden some ideas to get them together. Maybe.

Once in the Briefing Room, I took my seat in between Garrus and Wrex. I still had my omnitool up. Almost finished. The doors opened and Eden walked in, followed by Liara. Wrex gave me a look, but I simply shrugged. Liara took her seat, and Eden brought up a bluish white planet. Noveria I presume. I closed my omnitool. Didn't want people yelling at me for being disrespectful.

"This next mission is critical. We received some intel that Matriarch Benezia is in Noveria. What and why is unknown, but she is still there. Our mission is to find her, apprehend her, and bring her in for questioning." If it were so simple.

"Who will be the ground team Commander?" asked Kadian.

"Liara will be going." That earned a few whispers. I guessed as much seeing how it is her mother.

"Are you sure that is wise Commander? She is Benezia's daughter," voiced Ashley's. I see where she is coming from. The enemies daughter, willing to go on a ground mission? And with no experience? Sounds like a trap right?

"My mother and I haven't communicated for a few years. And I must now what my mother is doing. Why she is working with Saren. I hope you can understand." Ashley gave a frown, but nodded anyway.

"Commander, I recommend that Williams and I accompany you on this mission. If we are facing Benezia then there would be resistance. You are going to need experienced soldiers on the ground."

Wrex straightened himself. "That wouldn't be wise Alenko. Noveria is full of corrupt wealthy and politics. And they don't sit well with soldiers. I recommend Dawn and I go. Mercenaries get a little leeway on Noveria. Business purposes mainly. It is a hotspot for merc work."

"I agree with Wrex. You yourself Eden would raise eyebrows, so taking Alliance soldiers or C-Sec cops with you would only raise suspicion. And, no offense to you Tali, but Quarian's aren't really allowed on Noveria. Wrex and I are probably your best bet." That and we will be fighting Rachni so having Wrex along would add some serious help. Guy can take anything on.

Eden nodded, taking in the information. "I see what you both mean," she started. She brought a finger to her chin. She almost looked like Anna from the Fire Emblem games when she does that. It was a bit too cute. You shot me a look. Oh, clever girl. She knew I would like that.

"Alright. Wrex, Dawn. Head down to Deck 3 and get prepped. Be at the airlock in thirty minutes. We will be in port soon." Wrex and I stood up. We both started to head out until she called us both. We turned to see her smiling. "Be sure to ready yourselves for cold weather. I hear Noveria has some wicked blizzards." I sighed.

"Great… I hate the cold..."

* * *

**Alright. There you have it. So, rumor spreading in the Normandy. Will a fight break out between Adrian and Kadian? And, if so, who would you want to win? It would be interesting to see who ya'll would pick. And, as you can see, Adrian may have some ambitious plans after ME1. Would that mean canon will be broken, and Adrian will take matter into his own hands? And if so, will Eden have to suffer the similar fate all Shepard must face before ME2?**

**A lot of questions huh? Yeah, I've been doing a lot of brianstorming while I was on vacation and now. Mandalorian idea is something I always wanted to do, so it may be adapted into the Adrian Dawn arc. As for canon being "tweaked", that is what an SI is all about. At least I believe. An SI, well most, know the story, and the should and would try to take over. Or change somethings around. And that is what is going to happen with Adrian and Spade.**

**Either than that, big news: Citadel comes out tomorrow! And, from the Bioware blog site, they stated that it will be in TWO parts for XBOX 360. Why? Because it is a big DLC, bigger than ones previous. And I believe it is 1400 microsoft points, but I could be wrong. The way it will work is you pay for the first part but the second part is free. Bioware stated at the DLC Faq that you can go ahead and download the second part, but it will not work until you pay and download the first. Aside from that, it should be pretty badass. I mean, it is the last Mass Effect DLC so it should be worth it.**

**Now for news in the gaming community. I'm a huge Assassin's Creed fan, and Ubisoft just announced the next installment, Assassin Creed 4: Black Flag. Not much is known, except a character was named. Edward Kenway, and get this, Edward is said to be Connor's (AC3 hero) grandfather. It's setting is in the Carribean, and will have a Pirate like theme. Pirates of the Carribean anyone? In the tralier you see Black Beard telling the story about Edward, and actually sings his praises. It is pretty epic so ya'll should check it out.**

**Either than that everyone, ya'll have a good one.**

**KD**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello everyone, and happy St. Patrick's Day! One, I want to apologize for being late on updating Spade. This last week I was busy with exam's and tests, and now this week is my Spring Break. So, I'm going to be extra busy. **

**Big news: Citadel DLC: AWESOME! I recently played it, and let me say, it is fantastic. A good, bittersweet, way to say goodbye to the ME character we know and love. I won't spoil anything, only that I recommend everyone to purchase and play the DLC.**

**Also, on the writing level, I've recently posted a new fic called Mass Effect: Awakening. It involves the Prothean V.I Vigil, and the what if: "What if he was alive like Javik. What would he do?". I just posted it, and it has one chapter, but updates will happen for both of these fics.**

**Now, without further delay, I give you the next episode of Mass Effect: Spade.**

* * *

Chapter 14: Beginning to Rise

Adrian's POV.

Alright, I've lived in colder places before, but damn it is fucking cold. Even with warm clothing and an added thermal tech in my armor, and I'm still shivering. Wrex isn't too happy either. You know, being reptilian and all. We are already in the port. Security was a bitch at first. Eden and Liara went ahead of us in order to get us clearance. It didn't work out so well for them until Wrex and I walked in. Imagine seeing a Krogan, with a pretty badass scar, walking up to you. Pretty intimidating. Now add a mercenary in armor you've never seen before. Kind of adds up.

Once past clearance and security, we split up to cover more ground. Okay, we didn't really split up. Wrex and I just didn't want to deal with anyone that worked here. So we were just walking around, trying not to get into TOO much trouble. It gave me time to work on my Tech. While we were waiting for clearance I finished up with the Amp Tech in my bow. All I need to do is test it out, which I will get plenty of opportunities to do so soon.

I was leaning against a railing, overlooking the view. I bet it would have been an awesome view, if there wasn't a damn blizzard in the way. I was working on my omnitool. However, not with Tech this time. I was actually writing. Writing down everything I knew about the Mandalorians. I'll admit, I'm actually pretty excited about starting something. Even though only one person knows about my plan. And when I said everything I knew, I meant EVERYTHING. Pretty much everything cultural. Like how they see battle as a since of honor. From leadership to parenting. How relationships work. Everything. Like I said, I am a huge Mandalorian nerd.

The plan I have is that after I finish writing everything down, I was going to talk to Nalik. Nalik knows a lot of people, and he may know some people that will be willing to join. But, that's not it. Like Wrex said, after all this we may be famous. But fame can only stretch so far. If I'm going to create a people where the art of battle is of the high most importance, I need to make a name for myself. And right know, it looks like I'm going to have to do it Mando'a style. Through war, battle, and fighting. Wouldn't have been my first choice, but if I need to do this, then hell with it I will.

"What you working on little varren?" Wrex asked. He was wondering around for a bit. He stood next to me and looked out the window, watching the swirls of snow. I kept my eyes glued to my omnitool. I was writing a very important part. The color system.

"Just writing down what I know on the Mandalorians. If I'm going to start something, I would at least have something written down." Wrex nodded, at least I think. Can't really tell with the helmet on.

"You sound serious. Are you really going to do this?" He asked me. I nodded.

"Yeah, I am. Fully committed. Just need to find the people that are willing to be a part of this." I took a moment and saved what I had written. I took a breath. "Becoming a Mandalorian isn't easy. It consists of a lot of sacrifices, and it is very physically tasking."

"How so?" Well, looks like I will be giving my first lesson on the Mandalorians. Well, I was taking education when I was going to school. Wanted to be a history teacher.

"Mandalorian's are a lot like the Krogan in a way. War and battle is the foundation, the center, so to speak. Fighting for the one thing the an individual believes in or wants. For some it is glory and honor, others it is for family or clan, and some because they simply have nothing else. That lifestyle is hard and difficult. Only the strong can be Mandalorian. And it isn't gender specific. Men and women are equal in the Mandalorians."

Wrex hummed. "It does sound like the Krogan. Of course, we don't have much to fight for thanks to the Genophage." He took a moment. The topic of the Genophage is very touchy for the Krogan. "What kind of sacrifices are we talking about?"

"Family is a big one. Mandalorian's go into battle or war knowing that they might die, and may leave a family. A reason why you'll see many Mandalorians choosing to live a single life." I could feel Wrex giving me a look.

"So if you go with this, what will happen with you and Eden?" I didn't know what to answer. I've thought about it, but… I can't come up with anything. I wouldn't know what to say if I had to leave and go to war. In a way, I guess we will be okay. We are both soldiers, and we know the stakes. And I'm kind of use to it. Before the passed, my parents will always give me "life lessons" when it comes to a military family. Mom knew that Dad may not come home. It took its toll on her, but she still supported him. As for Wrex's question, I didn't answer, and I was glad he didn't pry.

"What about parenting? And family? How does that work out?" Hmm? How to explain this. Now that I think about it, Mandalorains are a lot like the Krogan. Maybe Bioware had the Mandalorians in mind when making the Krogan concept.

"Well, a family is more of a clan so to speak. Individuals banning together under a banner, or a name. Individuals who watch each other's back on the battle field, and at home. Usually the elders are in charge, leading by example for the younger generations. As for parenting, I guess it is like the Turian's, only, children aren't sent to camps. When the child is of a certain age, the parent's themselves will train them. Usually the father trains the son, and the mother trains the daughter. However, there are cases where it is switched. Normally happens when a certain parent isn't around."

"I see. Interesting." He took another moment. Wrex certainly does have questions. "What if the parents can't have a children?" Sweet. Get to explain one of the major traditions to Mandalorians. Adoption.

"Adoption. It is a very traditional form of becoming Mandalorian. In most cases, a Mandalorian soldier may not have a family or clan to go to, and while out in war they may find children who lost their parents, and bring them in. Teach them they ways of being Mandalorian."

"Humph. I like the sound of that. It isn't an all human thing is it?" I chuckled at that.

"No, it isn't. Anyone can be Mandalorian if they are willing. No matter the gender, size, or species. I'm sure when this starts, people will stick with each other, but my goal is over time we'll see clans of mixed race." Wrex nodded, and he looked out into space. Probably thinking. As for me, I was thinking about what I will be doing. So far, I've educated someone in some forms of Mandalorian. Of course, traditions will have to be taught as well. It is what sets Mandalorians apart from other races. Like for example, armor or weapons are passed down from generation to generation. Like a father passing down a knife, or a mother passing down a helmet.

Another thing I was thinking about was, well, Eden and I. If I start this, what would happen between us? Will she support me? Or will she leave me? I couldn't say. And in the terms of starting my own clan? I don't know. If Eden and I last long enough and survive the wars to come, maybe we can start something. There has been times where I wanted to start a family of my own. But can I do it? And with Eden? I'm not sure. But for right now, I need to focus on my goal's, or well, goal.

After the little lesson Wrex and I walked around. Really. There wasn't much to do yet. Mentally, I was in overdrive. First off, it was thinking about everything I knew about the Mandalorian's. Second, was readying myself for the upcoming fight with Rachni and Benezia. And thirdly, Liara. She is going to be a wreck after this mission, that was for sure. But she is a strong a person, and that says a lot. I never really like her in the games, and to be honest I didn't really care about her now that I'm living in this universe.

"_Adrian. This is Eden." _Eden's voice sung in my helmet. One thing I can say about my new Mandalorian helmet is that it is pretty similar to the Spade helmet. It can scan, track targets, and a new feature, strength in barriers, armor, and shields. Like the health bar in the games.

"Hey Eden. What's up?"I asked casually, closing my mind off from any distractions.

"_I'll tell you in a bit, for now, I need you and Wrex to meet me at the area where we met the Hanar. You now, the one that wanted things smuggled off world." _I nodded.

"Alright. Wrex and I will be there soon." Eden closed the comm, and I looked at Wrex. "Let's go. Eden and Liara probably just finished their meeting and want to meet with us. Hopefully, she has good news." Wrex nodded and we headed off. I mentally sighed. I knew all too well that there wouldn't be good news.

Unknown POV

How I get myself into these situations baffles me. If I had known that the mercenaries I was working with were insane, I wouldn't have joined up. Hell, the only reason I'm around is that they offer a sense of protection. I'm not the strongest of characters, if I say so myself. Yeah, I can fight. I have some biotic's, I was trained in hand-to-hand, and I'm pretty good with Tech. Well, everyone in my species is good with Tech, but still, a good Snap Freeze is a handy tool.

Ah, where are my manners, I'm Qun'Mazal. And if you haven't guessed, I'm Qurian. Yes, a biotic Qurian. My mother was exposed to eezo while she was pregnant with me. I'm not great like Asari, but I can handle the power. It is pretty useful to have. Anyway, as I was saying about the merc group I'm, they are insane. Our boss, who is a Krogan, thought it would be great to work on a planet that could turn us all into popsicles. And, we have to work with dirty police which really doesn't set well with me. And, to make matters worse, that damn Drell and Asari who hired us for a side job want us to kill someone. And not just anyone. The first human Spectre, Commander Shepard herself.

So yeah, I'm not feeling so hot about this mission. Our Merc group originally consisted of about five people, including myself. There is our boss, who is a Krogan, two Batarian's and a human. How that works out, I have no idea. Hell, I'm surprised the Batarian's haven't tried to kill the bastard of human yet. Honestly, they all have something stuck up their asses to the point that they all hate each other. Even Turian's aren't that bad.

Right now, I was "sneaking" away from my group. They were helping out the security seal off some Turian's office and steal some data. The pay may be good, but I'm tired of working for the wrong people. My parents wouldn't really like it so much that I became a merc during my pilgrimage. I was lucky to get away, but now the hard part was finding the Commander. I tabbed into my bosses communications, and with the Drell and Asari's aswell. They just send word that the Commander was here on Noveria. That and to watch out for a soldier in black and gold armor, for he is dangerous and protecting her. For me, she is fighting the Geth my peoples arch-nemesis (which I think we should just let go off), and is an ally. Besides, I hear that she is quite the looker. Wouldn't mind trying to get to know her, if you know what I mean.

There was only one problem. The port isn't to found of Qurian's walking around. I'm sure if someone sees me, word will get around, and I will be in serious trouble. And to be honest, I don't want a timeout from my boss. It would be WAY to embarrassing. Lucky for me, I'm quite sneaky and pretty flexible. I can just quickly flip myself in and out of view till I spot the Commander.

Right now, I was hiding next to a Hanar. He tried to get me to smuggle something off world, but I ignored him. Never really liked the jellyfish people. Have you heard the way they speak? Creepy as hell. I looked around, seeing if I could spot the Commander. Then it hit me. Who the fuck does the Commander even look like?! Shit, I should've thought that one through.

"I thought Qurian's weren't allowed in the port?" I jumped at the voice. It was female, but I could hear the hint of Asari. Oh shit, please do not let it be that one purple bitch, please don't. I slowly turned and thank the ancestor's it wasn't THAT Asari. In fact, this one was blue than purple, and was, well, rather cute. But what caught my eye was her friend standing next to her.

Black hair, green irises, and from what I can tell from her face, clear cream skin. I looked her up and down (thanks to the mask concealing my eyes), and I could tell that she was very well built. And she is wearing armor. Imaging what she looks like out of it. Oh, the things I can show her.

She looked at me confused. Aw, even her facial expressions were as equal as her looks.

"Hello ladies." I went up closer to the human woman in front of me, and took her hand. She was a biotic, seeing how our hands flared slightly. I gave a slight bow, her hand in my own. "I'm Qun'Mazal. And let me say, that my day has grown ever brighter after seeing your radiance." She looked at, confused look still on her face, and chuckled a little.

"Uh, thank you Qun'Mazal but I-"

"Please, my friends call me Qun."

"Okay, Qun. Is there something I can help you with, because I'm sort of-"

"You have already helped my day by allowing me with your presence. Perhaps, I can return the favor and get you a drink." Alcohol, humans weakness.

"Uhm, no thank you, Qun, I'm fine. In fact…" She trailed off for a moment, then a smirk played on her face. "Actually, Qun, I am a little interested." Her voice was now more seductive than before. It was enticing.

"Only by a little? I'm sure after a few drinks I can be even more interesting, and-" I stopped. A chill ran down my back. The chill you get when someone is… Watching you. I straightened, my hand letting go of hers. "There is something behind me, isn't there?"

She crossed her arms and nodded, her smirk still on her face. I slowly turned and a gulped when I saw two heavily armed figures. One Krogan, and one human. The Krogan was slightly taller than my boss, and had a massive scar on his face. His eyes were crimson red, and his crest was similar. He was very intimidating. And his human friend was just as intimidating. His armor was something I've never seen before. Black and gold coloration, and the helmet had a strange T-visor that gave off a vibe. That vibe that says "I will kill you if you move". Oh shit.

The human walked up to me, taking his helmet off. His eyes were like smoke, and his hair, ashen. He looked at me dead in the eye, then at the human woman.

"Eden. Is this guy bothering you?" So Eden is her name. Huh, suits her well. Wait. If he knows her by name, then that would mean? Oh fuck. I heard a chuckle.

"It's okay Adrian. He didn't know. Not his fault." I relaxed a little. At least this woman is nice enough to let me have a living chance. This guy looks like he can take me out in a matter of seconds. The Krogan grumbled.

"I was hoping you would say yes Commander. Would've been fun to see Adrian smack around the little pyjak." Why me? Like she said, I didn't know anything! Wait a sec? Did he say-

"Commander?" I asked out loud, and I looked at her for a moment. Then I looked at the human male, Adrian. "Black and gold armor, protecting the Commander… Oh shit! I know who you are!" I pointed at the Commander. "You are Commander Shepard!"

She looked at me for a moment, then nodded. I grinned. "Commander, I have news that may save your life. You are in danger." She looked at me as if I was crazy. I put my hands up. "You have to believe me. There is a Drell and Asair here and they hired a merc group to kill you."

"How do you know all this," the Asari asked. Well, better come clean.

"I… used to work with that merc group. But I left, I assure you! They started taking jobs that I didn't like, and when I heard that we were hired to take out the first human Spectre I left. To warn you!"

She looked at me, her face now serious. I could clearly see the soldier in her coming out. She then looked at Adrian. He too had a serious look. The Drell said that he was a protector of sorts for the Commander. It was silent for a moment.

"What do you think Adrian?" He hummed, probably thinking of the situation.

"Not sure yet? Who hired ya'll?" he asked me. He had an accent to him. It was kind of funny, but I didn't dare laugh.

"Not sure their names, but it was a Drell and an Asari. They didn't say much, only that the group take out Commander Shepard before she completes a mission? Not really sure what they meant."

He looked back at the Commander, and they seemed to have some kind of conversation without words. The Commander put her hand to her chin, thinking about something. She looked at me.

"Where are they now?" she asked.

"They are in some office area trying to steal some data. Not sure who it belongs to, though. Some Turian I believe." Her eyes seem to light up after that.

"Wait, I think I know whose office that is…" she mumbled. She snapped her fingers and looked at Adrian, who had his helmet tucked under his arm. "I've got it. Adrian. You and Wrex go to the office and get that data before the mercenaries. Take Qun with you. Just to make sure he isn't lying to us." Way to trust me Commander… Guess I deserve it. I mean I did just tell her that she is a target. "Liara and I are going to talk to the owner of the office. We got intel that he may help us with our mission. If he cooperates." I looked at Adrian, who had a wicked smirk on his face that could match a Krogan. He put on his helmet and then nodded.

"Sounds good to me. Wrex. Qun. Let's go." Wait, no time to prepare? Are you serious!?

They were. We left the area and headed to an elevator that will take us to the office area where my former group and a bunch of corrupt cops will be. I can't believe I'm actually doing this. It was crazy. I looked at the Krogan, who basically forced me to go with them, and could tell that he was wanting a fight. Well, most Krogan do, but he seemed starved for it. As for the human, Adrian they called him, I wasn't sure. Couldn't really tell behind that helmet. Speaking of which, his armor. I've never seen anything like it before. It was intimidating, and yet, inspiring. Like seeing one of the Admiral's in the flotilla walking around the life-ship. They wouldn't say a word, but yet you feel like you must live by their example.

Once we entered the elevator, we readied ourselves for a fight. The Krogan, which I found out was named Wrex, took out a nasty looking shotgun. A Claymore I believe. My boss had one, and I've seen the damage the shotgun can do. Not pretty at all. I took out my Tempest SMG. Never really liked anything else. I also checked my shields, and readied my omnitool for battle. Now, as for Adrian. He just had his omnitool out, and was typing away. Either he was doing last minute upgrades, are he is a complete dumbass. Couldn't guess which. The silence, however, was unbearable.

"So what kind of armor is that, huh, Adrian?" It was the first thing that came to mind. Adrian didn't answer, but the Krogan did.

"It is special armor. Dawn here is a Mandalorian, and that is his armor." What the hell is a Mandalorian? I looked at Adrian, and could see his head drop a little. Damn. Maybe he is the last of some sort of human clan or something.

"Wrex, do you really have to tell everyone?" Tell everyone what?

"Hey, I'm only spreading the word. If you are going to create something, you need people to hear about it. Consider the Qurian the first to witness what you can do." Wrex explained to Adrian. Okay, so maybe Adrian isn't the last, but first?

"What is it you are trying to create?" I asked curiously. The elevator is slow enough, so might as well ask questions to past the time. Adrian turned off his omnitool, and turned to look at me. I swear that T-visor on his helmet is pretty damn scary.

"I'm creating something new. A unified group of warriors that will be feared and respected."

"An army?"

"Something like that, but there is more to it. There is a culture behind it all. A way of life within. In a way, I'm creating a new people. A new culture."

Damn, that sounds ambitious. Almost crazy even. Creating a new culture? A new people? How can he do something like that?

The elevator stopped, and the door opened. Two security officers were there. Adrian went up to them. Probably to convince them that they didn't have to do what they are doing. Next thing I knew, they lookd at each other with crazy like eyes, and bolted for the elevator. The hell was that?

"What did you say?" I asked Adrian. He just looked at me.

"_Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur" _he said. The hell?

"What kind of language was that? Translator didn't even understood that one." He just shrugged.

"It is the Mandalorian language. What I said basically means "It is a good day for someone else to die". I figured I try it out on the security. Seemed to work, after I explained what it meant." Okay, but that doesn't explain why they ran off.

"How did you know they will run off, hmm?" asked Wrex. He held a shotgun. Looks like he is ready for a fight. Adrian did another shrug and took out two pistol's I've never seen before. This guy is full of unknowns that it is almost scary.

"Lucky guess. Now come on. I've been waiting to try out my new Tech and testing it on corrupt cops makes this experience even sweeter."

I took out my Tempest, and readied an Annihilation Field. The Krogan and Adrian looked at me for second. Wrex looked confused, and Adrian… well I can't really tell with the helmet but he is probably just as confused. I mean come on, how many Qurian biotic's are there? Not many. Aside from that little moment, we move up silently. Which is hell of surprising since we have a Krogan. Stealth is not their strong suit.

"Intruders!" Shit. Secruity forces rush from the second floor and from another section of the floor we are on. Wrex yelled out a battle, roar? And charged towards the officers coming from our left. I gave him cover buy taking shots at the officers. I wasn't really dishing out damage per say, but I was keeping them from shooting at the Krogan.

As for Adrian, he was keeping the other group of officers from coming down on top of us. I've never seen someone use to pistols at the same time. He looked like a pro, alternating shots from each pistol, dropping the officers shields a significant amount. Those pistol's pack a punch.

I heard a gunshot, followed by a scream. I looked over to Wrex and saw him throw down a Turian officer, and then blast the Turian's head off. I flinched and turned away from the sight. I should've expected it. Krogan and Turian relations is not the best. Shit, I've even seen my boss do worse on either Salarian or Turian. I'll probably never be able to handle it, so I just look away.

"Mazal!" I snapped back into focus and looked at Adrian. "Any other biotic trick you may like to reveal!?" he asked, while under cover. Two officer had him pinned. I grinned, even though no one could see it. I focused my biotic energy, aimed at the two officers and fired a Throw field. The Throw field ripped through the air, and when it made contact, a nice biotic explosion was activated. Thanks to Annihilation Field, it is able to make my Throw fields stronger and with an added explosive effect. It was a wonder to have.

"Nice one Pyjak, but let us show you how a Krogan and Mandalorian do things," Wrex said, a Krogan grin on his face. Adrian nodded, and I could see him activate his omnitool. Wrex then put up a Barrier, and reloaded his shotgun. What are they doing. I peered from my cover, and I could see three more officers. My Throw field, added with the explosion, took out the two shooting at Adrian.

In a flash of purple, I looked and saw Wrex launch a Warp field. The Warp field tagged an officer but didn't kill him. I could see the Warp burning the officer and grimaced. He looked like he was in pain. I then heard the obvious sound of an omnitool. I looked over and in awe, saw his omnitool turn into a bow like shape. He then quickly aimed, and fired an arrow at the same officer Wrex hit with a Warp. Then another Biotic explosion was triggered. How the hell?

Before I could ask, both Adrian and Wrex charged at the last two officer. Wrex fired a Carnage, causing the officers to break cover, and Adrian would fire his pistol's dropping the shields. The officers didn't stand a chance. With alternating Carnage and Warp shots, Wrex was keeping them from getting into cover. And Adrian was shooting just enough to get there shields down. What were they waiting for? I would get my answer.

Adrian quickly holstered his pistols and in a quick motion, he activated his omnitool and a stream of fire flew out of his omnitool. Flamer tech. The officers were engulfed in flames. Their screams were wild and pleading. It was gruesome. So is this how Mandalorians fight? With this much ferocity? It was frightening. Adrian moved like a machine, like he wasn't in control. Probably years of experience under his belt.

Once his Flamer tech was out and needed to be recharged, Adrian motioned us to follow him. I took a quick glance at the two bodies. Charred, and unrecognizable. As we turned the corner, I could see my old team running down a walkway. It was the two Batarians and the Human. However, before they could do anything, Adrian charged once again. However, this time instead of a Flamer, he activated a Snap Freeze. The three were staggered, and their armor was frozen solid. They were screwed. Adrian activated his omnitool again, forming a gauntlet I've seen for too many times. Ballistic Blades. In a loud bang, Adrian fired the Blades, and in a trio the three shattered into pieces.

I sighed in relief. That was three I didn't have to worry about. Wrex chuckled.

"Save some for us little varren," he said. Adrian shrugged, and seemed to chuckle. Can't tell do to the helmet.

"Just need to move faster old man."

As they were talking, I looked past them and my eyes widened. Charging at them was my old Krogan of a boss.

"Look out!" I yelled, at the same time, I fired an explosive charged Throw at my former boss. Adrian rolled out of the way, and my Throw made its target. But I knew all to well that it wouldn't be enough to take down my boss. His armor was top notch, that was for sure. I moved closer, sendin as many Throw fields I can. My boss may be strong, but he was extremely slow. After a few more Throws, I could see his armored protection melting away. Here is my chance to finally end this crazy bastard. In a quick motion, I fired my own Snap Freeze, making my boss into a Krogan popsicle. I rushed to him, and with a Biotic fused fist, I punched the popsicle into pieces.

It was relieving. Knowing I was finally free from that damned merc group, and can finally do what I need to do for my Pilgrimage.

"Damn. Never thought I would see a Krogan be taken down by a Qurian," Wrex said. I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not. Adrian chuckled and walked up to me.

"_Mandokarla. _That was a good fight Qun." I was breathing heavy, and my head was buzzing due to the adrenaline. But I smiled and nodded.

"I'm just glad to finally be free of them. I can finally do my Pilgrimage in peace." Adrian nodded, and looked at the mess we all created. I heard him take a breath, and he looked at us.

"Come on. Let's get that data before anymore corrupt cops show up."

Adrian POV

Wrex, Qun'Mazal, and myself waited outside the administrator's office. We managed to get the data for Eden, and she and Liara were with that Parasini chick. During that time after Qun took down his former boss, everything was nice an smooth. Strangely, that one blonde biotic, you now, the one that shows up after you get the data, didn't. She never showed her face. Apparently, while we were shooting up bad guys, Eden caught her hassling residents for protection money and took her out herself. Man I love it when Eden has our back.

We never ran into the Drell and Asari duo that hired Qun's merc group to take down Shepard. They probably took off after they hired the mercs.

Another thing we were doing was myself teaching Qun about the Mandalorians. Pretty much went over what I told Wrex. It was amazing however. He watching me fight, and hearing me speak Mando'a got him interested. Well, might as well start small. I was impressed in myself when I spoke the language. I remember in my Linguistics class we had to create a new language or use a made up language and teach at least four people the language. If you can guess, I picked Mando'a. Surprised how much I remembered.

"You bitch!" I turned to see the Salarian being hauled away. Looks like a victory for us. Now we can go after Benezia, which I am not looking forward to. Especially with Liara here. She may not take it so well. And Wrex was also a worry. Rachni. This is going to be a tough fight. I only hope I don't get injured to miss it this time.

Eden said her goodbye to Parasini and headed towards us. "Alright, we have a garage pass. Let's go before Benezia finds out we are coming." We all nodded. Wrex and I looked at Qun'Mazal. He wasn't part of the crew, and he voiced that he didn't want to stay on Noveria anymore.

"Well Qurian, it was nice fighting alongside you," Wrex said, before he took off to catch up with Eden. I shook Qun's hand. He was surprised at the slight flare, but didn't question it.

"What are you going to do now Qun?" I asked. He just shrugged.

"Probably head to the Citadel, find better work. Getting shot is only fun after a few times." I chuckled. Then I brought up my omnitool.

"Here, I'm forwarding everything I have on the Mandalorians. Something for you to look over." Qun was interested, why not give him some data I have. "Also. This is an address of a friend of mine that works in the Citadel. Name is Nalik. Go to his apartment, type in this code to get to it, and tell him Adrian sent you and you need work. He is a good guy, so he may help you out." Nalik from time to time would say that he wanted help around the shop. And Qun would need some type of work. Citadel may be all for equality, but only if you are of the council race. Qurian's always have it tough.

"Wow, thanks Adrian. Truly, this is amazing."

"Ah, don't need to think me. Just go on before you miss your flight." He looked at the time.

"Oh shit! I better go! Keelah salai!" He took off for the ports. I merely shook my head.

"_Ret'urcye mhi."_

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**Well, there you have it. Introduction to Adrian's plan on creating the Mandalorian in the ME world. I've explain some basic traditions in Mando'a culture. If you guys want to learn more just check out wookiepedia, or read Karen Travis Republic Commando Books. They really branch out into Mandalorian culture and language. Also, I may use some Mando'a language through out this fic and in future fic's involving Adrian, and yes, I'll give translations.**

**Shout out! To Poison1234. Qun'Mazal is of her creation, and the credit to his character belongs to her. Poison, if you are reading this, Qun'Mazal is awesome!**

**Also, be sure to check out my profile page. There are OC list and notes about the various OC's I have created throughout my Fic's. Also some coming soon you should look out for, and a gamertag for any 360 users. So check it out from time to time to see any updates on things to come.**

**Keep reading and stay sexy ;)**

**KD**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello ladies and germs! Welcome to the next chapter of Mass Effect: Spade. Before you go on reading, I have a special announcement. On March 15th, Spade hit 100 reviews! Woohoo! This is a major milestone for me. Why? Well Spade is my first fanfic that I really put effort into. And seeing how so many people have been following and favoring is huge for me. So, thank you, for reading my stories and being patient with me when it comes to updates.**

**Now, before I get all teary eye, I would like to say these words:**

**With out further delay, I give you the next chapter of Mass Effect: Spade. Enjoy :)**

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Chapter 15: I hate Bugs

Adrian POV

"Wrex! Take down that Krogan!" Eden ordered. We just entered the Peak 15 complex. And of course, as soon as we entered, we were attacked by a pair of Krogan mercenaries and Geth troopers. It has been hell. Shit, as soon as we entered the damned garage we have been on edge. In a way it was good. Well, for those who have actually seen combat. We were on edge, on alert from the start. It was keeping us alive.

As for Liara. It will take time, but she will get use to it. She has to if she is going to be the next Shadow Broker. So far, she was more terrified than alert. Caught her froze up from time to time. Eden and I actually had to slap her to get her back to attention. She has been sticking with Eden for protection, only offering Biotic support with Eden. And it was my idea too. Yeah, one would be worried about partnering you girlfriend with another romance option, but I trust Eden. Besides, Wrex and I are tarrying it up.

He would do a good old fashioned Krogan charge and slam a Geth down, and I would be his Tech support. Overload a few Geth, take some down with my bow and pistol. I even lit a Krogan on fire. Yep, I lit a Krogan, on fire. The Eden hit that same Krogan with a Throw field. Made a nice Fire explosion.

So far, we managed to take down a few more down. All that was left was a group of five troops and a Krogan. Easy. Wrex and I already knew what to do. A good Overload will force the Geth out of cover. Being deactivated is always an A.I's worst fear. The Geth would move out of cover, and Wrex and I would take them down. Two on my side, easily taken down by my revolver's. Troopers are extremely easy to take down. Multiplayer on ME 3 proved that. And the three on Wrex side suffered a mixture of Warp, Carnage, and Krogan rage. Wrex is having a field day.

Now for the Krogan-

"Dawn! Move!" What? I turned only to see a Krogan clad in white armor charge at me. Oh this is gonna-

"Hurt!" The Krogan slammed its body on me, throwing me about a good ten feet. The slam knocked the breath out of me, and I was struggling trying to get some air. This is the one time I will ever hate my helmet. It was difficult to breath. I was forced on my back, and when my vision was clear I wasn't really surprised. The barrel of a shotgun. Well it was an upgrade from a pistol.

I could hear the Krogan's fingers pop when he was pulling the trigger. Oh, for the love of-

"Adrian!" God Damnit, how many times are people going to scream my name! The Krogan and I looked to see both Liara and Eden enveloped in Biotic energy. I'm not going to lie, but seeing Eden like that, was pretty damn sexy. I'm such a lucky guy

Liara threw out her hand, sending a Warp field at the Krogan. Eden then followed up with a Throw. I saw it as my queue to roll the fuck away. Right on time too, cause the explosion was pretty damn fierce. They continued the same combination until the Krogan was no more than dust. Yep. Still sexy.

Eden ran up to me as I was getting up. "You okay?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice. I looked at her. She had her helmet on, trying to keep her head warm from the cold. And yet, I could still see her green eyes.

I placed my hand on her shoulder, and brought my helmet to hers. Our helmets made my contact, as if they were kissing. It was a, Mandalorian way to show some affection on the battlefield. Like I told Wrex. War and battle is a Mandalorian's office. Love was something many Mandalorian's will probably never experience, so the little things like this. Always keep it close.

Eden seemed to like it, a lot. A bright smile on her lips. She closed her eyes for a few moments, then opened them and stepped back, breaking our helmets contact.

"Even on the battlefield, you can be romantic," she said. I chuckled.

"Well you know me. I try very hard." She rolled her eyes and looked at our little mess. Geth and Krogan troops were sprawled all over the place. Liara looked like she was about to puke. Poor girl. I can't do anything but help her through this. I can be caring, but only to some degree. She is going to have to learn the darkness within war if she is going to survive the next few years. IF we win this.

"Come on. The sooner we find the Matriarch, the sooner we can leave this damn planet," Eden said. Wrex huffed.

"Sounds good to me. And hopefully we can find some better challenges. I don't want to freeze down here." Oh Wrex my friend, you are going to find out just what kind of challenges we are about to face.

Eden motioned us to follow her. She and I were in the front, her N7 Crusader shotgun out and ready, and my Hawkeye Revolvers out. My adrenaline was still pumping, and the fact that we were about to fight giant bugs didn't help any. When we entered the room where we meet the Rachni, we were greeted by a barrage of plasma shots. Geth. Now I'm starting realize how much I hated fighting these guys during the Multiplayer. This time Wrex was watching Liara, under orders from Eden. Looks like the couple from hell is taking over this one.

Wrex and surprisingly Liara, gave us cover with two Warp fields. Eden and I were in cover when two hunters started sending charged shotgun bolts at us. Man I hated these guys, with their damned cloaks. I quickly sent off an Overload to take down their shields. No shields, no cloak. Rule number one when fighting hunters. Rule number two, back the fuck away! Their shotguns can tear through shields, barriers, and armor with a well placed charged shot. And if the shot is very well placed, it could kill in one hit all together.

With a well placed Overload and a special EMP arrow from my omnibow, I took down one of the Hunters. Its flashlight head fading. I'm not going to lie, but I always found the Geth interesting. Plus Legion is a bamf with his Widow sniper rifle. I heard the clicks of the other one closing in on me, and I could barely make out the silhouette. It was close enough to where a Snap Freeze may slow it down, plus the cryo frost on it will reveal its location for me, cloaked or not.

I fired the Snap Freeze in the general direction of the Hunter. When the frost dissipated I could see the outline of the Hunter. Found you. With a quick motion, I activated my Ballistic Blades gauntlet, and fired. I added an Explosive Tech to the blades, and with the mixture of the cryo freeze, the explosion was very nice. Never thought I would be so happy to see a Geth explode.

During my little duel with the Hunters, Eden was using some fancy Biotic's to take out some troopers. However, it wasn't until a Pyro got a little too close. She launch a fierce Warp field to make it stagger. Even though the shields managed to take majority of the damage, the burning affect was still there. She then launched a Shockwave, mainly because there were two troopers behind the Pyro. The troopers were launched, and the Pyro was caught in a Biotic explosion, taking down the shields and half the armor. She finished the job with a shot from her Crusader.

When she took out the Pyro, I made a quick scan for anymore troops. That should be… Oh shit!

"Eden!" I yelled. I quickly grabbed her and pulled her close. At the same time, I activated my Omni-Shield to give us added protection. Two rockets slammed into the shield, but thankfully with the added Cryo addition I installed it held fast. Two rocket troops were on the top of the ramp. If I hadn't notice them, we would have been taking out by the two rockets. Annoying pieces of shit!

Eden was just as surprised. Probably didn't expect me to hold her this close during a fight. It would look romantic. The hero holding the damsel close to him, shield protecting them from danger. Yeah, totally romantic, if you took away the fact that I was cursing at the damned Geth. That, and add the fact that my shield is losing power after every hit. Tech only lasts so long until it needs to go off to recharge. Thankfully, my favorite Krogan and not so favorite Asari were there to help.

They took off from cover and fired a barrage of shotgun shells, Warps fields, and Carnage shots at the two Geth. Eden and I saw our opportunity to move. I retracted my shield and took out my revolvers. She left my grasp and switched to her N7 Hurricane's. I gave her mine. And all four of us unleashed hell on the two Geth. Overkill? Nah. Just work.

When the smoke cleared, we all recharged and reloaded our clips. I hit the scan on my omnitool. Can't be too careful with Hunters. Thankfully, nothing that matched Geth signatures. But what really worried me was a whole other problem.

_Clank. Bang._

"What was that?" Liara said.

"Don't worry I'll protect you," Wrex said, with that famous chuckle of his. Man I love that line.

We heard the banging and thumping moving around the room. I shivered. Ever got that feeling bugs were crawling on your back? Yeah, happening to me. I took out my revolvers, and Eden readied her Crusader. This was getting creepy. A little to creepy for me.

_Bang!_

"Watch out!" I couldn't tell whether that was Liara or Eden or both of them yelling. What I could tell was that a giant bug came out of nowhere. And about three meters away from me! I might of jumped about ten feet in the air. And I panicked. I started unloading both my revolvers into the bug. And it only made it worse. It started charging at me, which only caused Liara and Eden unload everything they had into it. Eventually, Wrex Warped it to kingdom come.

And of course, as soon as one goes, two more come out. Rachni and Swarmers came out of the pipes and walls. Charging at us. We quickly hunkered down and started shooting. Now I know how the troopers in StarShip Troopers felt. Scared shitless and shooting at giant bugs. And what made matters worse? Those damned warrior bugs from StarShip Troopers blasted out of a whole in the floor! Goddamnit! This is not what I expected at all!

One Warrior started charging at us. I fired off an explosive barrage of Ballistic Blades, causing the Warrior to stagger. With a scan on my helmet, I was able to tell that they have a huge case of armor, but without, they are as good as dead. The only down side was that my Tech wouldn't be enough. Only long range I have is my revolvers and Omni-Bow. Yeah, not going to work out.

I looked around for something that I could use. I noticed Wrex was fighting against the normal Rachni. Workers is what I'll call them. Eden and Liara were tag teaming against a few Workers and Swarmers that were heading towards them. I heard a screech and saw the same Warrior I tagged with my Ballistic Blades heading towards. Shit shit shit. I need something, anything.

Then I caught a glare. I looked and saw a Geth Plasma Rifle. I did a double take. Oh fuck it! Better than nothing!

I quickly rolled and grabbed. Loaded a clip, and sent a barrage of plasma bullets into the Warrior. I fired a few assault rifles before, so this was nothing. The plasma was melting away the armor, and the Warrior was trying to move away. I must of unloaded and entire clip until the Warrior dropped dead. Damn. Eighty shot clip. Almost weightless. Hell, probably lightest gun I ever held, aside from my old sniper rifle.

"Adrian! A little help here!" I heard Eden yell. I turned and saw a massive swarm of, well, Swarmers. I reacted with a nice stream of Flamer Tech. Burned the little bastards to a crisp. All in the while, the other three were fighting Workers and Warriors on my left. Wrex even charged at a Worker. I even think he blasted its head off.

After my Flamer tech was out and recharging, I blasted any remaining Swarmers that managed to survive the flames. Unloaded a clip into a Worker as well. Did I mention how much I hate bugs? Like, I fucking at bugs. Especially spiders. Goddamn freaks of nature, they are.

I turned when I heard what sounds like Eden's Hurricanes going off, only to be greeted by the other Warrior. It was too close for me to do anything, but activate my Omni-Shield. I rammed into my shield knocking my to the floor. It then tried to bite through it with its pincer like mouth. And, the damned Warrior even had those claws on its head and tried to stabs its way through my shield. Fuck. I was pinned to the floor, by a damned bug. The only good thing was that my Cryo shield was freezing its armor, making it weak for someone to blast it.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" I heard an all too familiar battle cry from my side. I looked over and saw Wrex charging at the Warrior. Luckily, the Warrior wasn't too smart to notice the Krogan slamming into it. Wrex slammed the Warrior into the wall, frozen pieces of armor flying off. Wrex tore it up, literaly. He ripped off the two claw antennas, and blasted the two mouth pincers off with his Shotgun. I don't think I've ever seen Wrex this mad and this fierce to kill something. Hell, he even showed restraint when killing Turians and Salarians. But the Warrior? No mercy what so ever.

After about a minute, Wrex finally stepped away from the mutilated form of what use to be a bug. Liara and Eden walked up and stood beside me. The room was cleared of any live Rachni. Even the Swarmers were dead.

"What was that?" asked Liara.

"Rachni…" growled Wrex. Yeah, he's pissed. "The ancient enemy of my people." Eden looked down. She hated it when Wrex was angry. In a way, he scarred her. She told me during RnR that she managed to piss off a Krogan, and that it went into a bloodrage. Almost killed her too. And what made it worse? The Krogan use to be a friend of hers.

"Hold on, I thought the Krogan whipped out the Rachni to extinction. How can there be more?" Liara asked. Wrex turned and shot us a look. We all flinched, even I.

"How should I know? All I know is that Rachni are here, and they need to be terminated." Wrex started to make for a door. I was the only one brain enough to stop him. He sent me a glare, and I mustered all my courage to stand firm. If I'm going to lead the next most fearsome culture this galaxy is going to see, then I must not show fear. And what better way to practice than with Wrex.

"Wrex, _Udesii. _You can't charge in there blind, you'll get yourself killed." He just looked at me, his red eyes piercing through me. I could see the rage building within him.

"I have to do this Dawn. The Rachni must be destroyed."

"And I agree with you. They mustn't be allowed to live. But you can't do this on your own. _Tion'ad hukaat'kama? _Who has your back?" I asked him. I'm getting pretty good with the Mando'a. He just looked at me for a moment, then away. "Wrex. You are my _Ner vod, _my brother. And being so, I cannot let you go alone. I have your back, but only if you let me. Besides. I can't let you have all the fun."

I had a slight smirk on my face. It was true. I wanted to kill some bugs. And I didn't want Wrex to hog all the fun. He just looked at me for a few moments, then at Eden and Liara, until finally he looked at me and gave me that Krogan grin.

"Very well. I guess I could spare some for you." He extended his hand, and I took it in the old Roman fashion. Clasp the middle of the forearm and with the other hand, the shoulder.

"_Haat, Ijaa, Haa'it. _Truth, Honor, Vision. Consider it a pact that we will always have each other's back." Wrex nodded and huffed at that. We let go, and Wrex went for the door, only more calmer. Liara went up to him. Probably felt safer standing next to the old battlemaster. Eden clasped my shoulder, and I looked at her.

"Good work. I hate to see Wrex go because of his rage…" she said, the concern still in her voice. I took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Don't worry Eden. I'll make sure our old friend will be okay. I promise." She looked at me then smiled. She let go of my hand and started heading towards our other two squad mates. She then stopped and looked at me.

"So what was that language you were using? Translator didn't pick it up," she asked. Figured. She would ask eventually. I just shrugged.

"I'll explain when we finish everything up here." She gave me a look, and eventually nodded and took off. I followed, knowing in the back of my mind that I will have to explain everything to her. But first. I have to deal with the damn bugs. I hate bugs…

* * *

**Okay. So yeah, shorter than most chapters, but within reason. Noveria took me FOREVER to finish up, if memory serves well. And the constant going back and forth was no fun at all. Plus, Noveria and Virmire are pretty big missions, with a lot going on. So, I'm going to split those missions up. Starting with Noveria. Noveria if any will be maybe three chapters. This one, next being side missions, and last one being the battle with Benezia. Virmire will probably be the same, but we will see when time comes along.**

**Now, for some Authors notes. The big one I can say is the Starship Troopers. One, I really do hate bugs. And yes, I'm scarred of spiders. They are freaks I tell you, FREAKS! Anyway *ahem* I decided to give the Rachni's some more bite for their bark. And what better way than to add the bugs from Starship Troopers. Mainly the Warriors will be in, since you are inside the majority of the time. So, yeah, Starship Trooper bugs it is.**

**Mando'a translations:**

**Udesii: calm, or calm down.**

**_Tion'ad hukaat'kama_: Who has your back?**

_**Ner vod: **_**brother, sibling, friend.**

**_Haat, Ijaa, Haa'it_: Truth. Honor. Vision. Basically what to say when forming a pact.**

**So, there you have it my friends. Hope ya'll enjoyed.**

**Keep reading, and stay sexy my friends.**

**KD**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello Ladies and Germs. And welcome to the next chapter of Mass Effect: Spade. Sorry for the wait, but with school and this Easter weekend I was a little busy. But, I haven't given up on ya'll, and ya'll haven't given up on me. That and I aim to please ;P. Like I said last chapter, Noveria will span a few chapters. But, I will say this. We are getting closer to the end of Spade. *Gasp!* *Shocked face!* What!? Yep, this fic is getting closer and closer to the end. Now I won't give spoilers, but I will say this: It is not going to be an ending you will expect.**

**Also: In the gaming community. Bioshock Infinite came out recently, and holy shit. Epic game! Loved it from beginning to end. The story is fantastic, and the twists are mind blowing. No lie. Ending= Epic mind fuck! I won't spoil anything, but I do give it a recommendation to play, or even own. It is THAT good.**

**Aside from that, I'm happy to say:**

**Sit back, relax, and enjoy this next chapter of Mass Effect: Spade.**

* * *

I still hate bugs…

Eden POV

"**Reactor core offline. Will Maintenance please report to the…"**

"I swear to god, if that thing doesn't shut up anytime soon, I'm going to kill a bitch!" Adrian said. We're on the roof of the Peak 15 complex, and Adrian was repairing the landlines to get Mira, a V.I, to gain full functionality. Well, he was trying to fix it. Aside from the short temper he has, we are also being attacked by bug like creatures. And they didn't appear to like us. So, adding attacking bugs and the fact that Adrian hates bugs with a passion, his stress levels aren't the best. Plus, we are outside and he vocalized how much he hates the cold numerous times. For a hardened assassin, he complains quite a bit.

"Eat a load of this!" That was Wrex. I turned to look at him, and just in time to see him rip a Carnage into one of those bugs, tearing a nice hole into it. Wrex has become extremely more hostile than before. And it has to do with our new found enemy. Rachni. I still couldn't believe that they are still around. I remember reading about the Rachni Wars. It was gruesome from what I read. Planets being overrun by bug like creatures. Then the Krogan were introduced to the galaxy and wiped out the Rachni, ending the war. At least we all thought. I don't know what is going on in this station, but it doesn't sound good.

"Clear!" Wrex shouted. I'm really glad I decided to bring him along. Same with Adrian. He and Wrex have been on fire ever since we entered the complex. I even think they have a competition going on between them on how many kills they are racking up. So far I think it is a tie. Either way, I'm damned glad to have them on board. I normally don't have favorites in my team, but if I did, it would be them. Wrex cause he is a power house, and provides a good amount of cover. And Adrian because of his wide tact with Tech. It would have taken me hours to fix the V.I, but Adrian was able to slap some Omni-Gel and then transfer power to the V.I. Speaking of which.

"Adrian. How's that repair going?" I asked him. He was tapping away on his omnitool. Eventually he nodded and stood up.

"Landlines are fixed, and power is fully restored to that V.I. All that is left is to fix that Reactor, and we should be solid."

I nodded, and gave the order to get out of this area before anymore Rachni showed up. As we entered the elevator, we all reloaded our weapons. Adrian was kind enough to give me his Hurricane. Said that it will help me more than him. Understandable, now that he has more Tech weapons to work with. I looked over my shoulder, and saw him typing away on his omnitool. He has been on it ever since we left the Citadel. I'm not sure why, but I can feel that he is up to something. Like that language he was speaking a few moments ago with Wrex. Wrex seemed to understand, I think, but I didn't.

It was curious, strange even. He is intelligent, more so than one would think. I've seen him work with Tech, and they way he treats it is more like art than anything else. He is skilled, that is for sure, but to know another language that a translator can't pick up? I couldn't wrap my head around it. He did say he would tell me after the mission, but I hate waiting. And he knows that.

Once the elevator opened, Mira announced that the reactor core was still offline. Adrian and Wrex grumbled at the voice. It was funny in a way. Two hardened mercenaries, at the top of their game, can face down hordes of enemies and not break a sweat, are annoyed by a simple voice.

We moved to another elevator that would take us to the core, after the short but slow ride, the elevator opened. As soon as we walked in to the main room, things started to happen. First, our radar was jammed. That only means one thing. Geth. Of course the Geth would be in the reactor core. We all readied our weapons, and I took a quick glance at Liara. She was handling things well so far. When the fighting first started she was on edge, almost terrified to do anything. It was sad in a way. She wasn't a soldier, and didn't have any training in combat. But, after a few battles and experiences, she is shaping up. If she keeps it up, she may actually make an excellent soldier one day.

"I'm picking up some slight electrical signatures. Fast, complicated, and random. Defiantly Geth," Adrian said.

"How can you pick that up when our radar's our jammed?" asked Liara. Adrian's head went up and looked at her. She jumped a little. That visor of his can be intimidating apparently. I was fine with it, although I was kind of there when he got the armor.

"I'm not using my radar, I'm using an electrical scanner." I looked at Liara, and her face was contorted with confusion. I heard what sounded like a sigh from Adrian. "Geth are Synthetic, correct?" Liara nodded. "Alright, well all Synthetic's are is nothing more than wiring and electrical impulses. Using the scanner, I can pick up those pulses."

"Turning the scanner into a makeshift radar. That is brilliant Adrian." Liara said with a smile on her face. First time she has since we first left the port. Adrian chuckled.

"I wouldn't call myself brilliant, but thanks." His omnitool went off, and he checked. "Hold up, picking up another signature… Woa."

"What is it?" Liara asked. Adrian hit a few keys and swiped away.

"Picked up another signature, but it is fast. Almost too fast. Appearing for a few seconds, then disappearing to another location. Could be a Stalker."

"How can you tell that from a simple electrical scan?" I asked this time. Adrian kept his focus on his omnitool.

"Well, from what I and Tali could figure out, different Geth unit's give off different electrical pulses." That's right, Adrian has been helping Tali on her free time. Mainly trying to figure out how the Geth tick, but from what I can tell, they have been pulling up interesting results. "Geth Troopers for instance give off normal frequencies, not too strong but not too weak. Primes on the other hand have very strong pulses, almost triple that of a trooper. From those readings, Tali and I were able to figure out which pulse belongs to a certain Geth unit. Complicated stuff really, lot's of numbers."

"That is something that could be very useful. You have a very handy skill Adrian." Liara was obviously fascinated by it. The whole time spent on this mission has been a learning experience for her. At first she was terrified at the whole idea that her mother was the enemy, and that we will be facing combat. But over time her interests peaked. Especially after Feros and seeing my vision. And after meeting some of the crew, she has voiced what she believes about them. All good of course, however, at one point she said Adrian was something of a mystery to her. Mainly because after Feros he was on a hospital bed for a week, but also because he wouldn't talk to anyone either than myself, Garrus, Tali, and Wrex. Everyone else he simply ignored. That, and she said his burns intimidated her.

"This is all very interesting, but there are some Geth that need to be killed," Wrex said, breaking my train of thought and ending the conversation. We all acknowledged, and ready ourselves. I opened the door, and the minute I picked over a barrage of bullets flew by. Damnit. They have our way in blocked.

"That may be a problem," Liara said.

"And this is why you don't talk Tech before a battle," this time Wrex.

"Say all you want Wrex, but this Tech is going to be our way in." We all looked at me with confused faces. Yeah, he knows Overload, but what good will that do. He sighed at our faces. "I have a shield Tech, powerful enough to hold a barrage of bullets. I'll go in first with my shield, and the rest of you will be behind blasting away any Geth. Ya'll will be fire support, and I'll be living cover. Easy." He said 'easy' with a shrug. I hate it when he shrugs. Normally because he knows his plan will work, but it also means he is right. Hate to see it during arguments.

"Alright Adrian, we'll do that then. Take point and we will follow your lead." He gave a mock, sly, pretty sure sarcastic, salute. The one you see in the vids that all the bad boys do. Adrian called it the "Han Solo" salute, whatever that means.

In less than three seconds, Adrian was out the door and in a quick flash of amber and white, his shield was up. The Cryo was crystallizing any bullets that were hitting the shield, and showed no signs of breaking down anytime soon. Got to love Tech at the hands of an expert. The Omni-Shield gave him just enough cover, and the strength for him to move forward. Seeing that the Geth were focused on him, I and the other two moved in behind him, and started shooting at the Geth. Without trying to catch Adrian with friendly fire.

We slowly moved forward, but we were managing. The Geth were focused at Adrian. I think the fact that a glowing shield that can freeze anything on contact will want people shooting at it, but for right know, I loved it. It gave us the cover to push the Geth back, and to kill any that got to close, or in our line of sights. We made sure not to shoot over Adrian. I'm not saying Wrex and I were bad shots, but the idea of Adrian going back to the medbay, and in all due part of us shooting him in the back, didn't sit well with us. And, I made it a personal mission to make sure he doesn't go to the medbay for once.

When we were about halfway in, the Geth started getting fewer and fewer. Some troops and a few Juggernaut class, but nothing we couldn't handle. It was the Stalkers however, that had us worried. So far we saw, and blasted two. Wrex took the first one out by luck. He fired a Carnage slug towards a weakened Juggernaut, only to be intercepted by a passing by Stalker. He calls it skill, I call it luck. Take your pick. The other however was intended. Liara and I double teamed the Geth. She with a well placed Singularity, and I with a Throw field, adding a nice explosion in the process.

"Oh shit…" That was Adrian. Uh oh.

"Something wrong Adrian?!" I said while taking fire from a trooper.

"Shield almost down! That Juggernaut is packing serious fire power," was all he said. I took down the trooper, and turned to see three more Geth units. Thankfully there were the last three, the only bad thing was that Adrian was in the way. The only downfall from good cover is it gets in the way. Not saying I'm enjoying the view though.

The Juggernaut fired a Carnage slug at Adrian, pushing him back a few steps. He held strong, but I could tell that his shield was starting to go down. We had to act quickly. A Singularity would work on the two Troopers, but the Juggernaut had armor, which will weigh it down. Ah screw it, it was the only way we had to give cover to Adrian.

I quickly channeled my Biotics, and let lose a Singularity at the Geth. The energy flew past Adrian's head and made the target on the Geth. The two Troopers were lifted from the ground, and the Juggernaut stumbled. Liara saw the opportunity giving and fire a Warp field, causing the Biotic Explosion. The Juggernaut was caught in the blast, and I could see its armor crumbling away. Adrian apparantly saw it too, for he quickly charged at the Geth. In a few seconds he deactivated his shield, and fired a Snap Freeze, making the Geth into a Gethsicle. Wrex saw his own opportunity and fired another Carnage. This time, a beautiful Cryo explosion was caused, shattering the Geth unit.

"Clear, I think," said Liara. Wrex grunted in response and I nodded. Adrian pulled up his omnitool. Probably doing a quick scan.

"Scan's are clear, and radar is back on. We're good Eden." I sighed in relief. Any moments rest is always good to have.

We made our way down the reactor core, and Adrian went work on starting it back up. After about a minute he was finished. Anyone can work faster when they aren't getting shot at, or attacked by bugs. After a few swipes and typing on his omnitool, the power was back online with the sweet humming of power.

"**Reactor core back online, power is restored." **

"Music to my ears," Adrian said.

**"Warning: Hot Labs contaminated. Warning: Hot Labs contaminated." **

"And I'm back to hating the damned thing…" That earned a giggle from me. Adrian is never satisfied I suppose.

"Come on. We need to head back to Mira, and see if we can figure anything about what is going on. And maybe find where Benezia is," I stated, earning nods from my squad. We headed off, meeting a few Swarmers on the way. Adrian made short work with his Flamer Tech. Also earned a few curses from him as well. Poor guy really hates bugs. Once back to the elevator, we did the same routine. Readied our weapons, made sure shields and barriers were up and functional, and making sure our armor can last another wave of Rachni.

Once back on the main floor, the V.I went off again about some contamination going on in a place called the Hot Labs. Probably where all this started. I had a bad feeling in my gut. Just what was Binary Helix doing here? Was it like ExoGeni with the Thorian? Were they experimenting on the Rachni? I wasn't sure, and a part of me didn't want to know what exactly was going on. I just wanted to get the Matriarch, and get off this ice covered hell hole of a planet.

We walked to Mira, the V.I, and it stated that the elevator to enter the lab area was now operational thanks to power being restored. It then gave its warning that the area was indeed contaminated, and this is the best part, Matriarch Benezia was there as well. After that, and making sure Adrian doesn't destroy the V.I, we head out to the elevator. We had to back track the way we came in.

Upon entering the main room, I had a bad feeling and took out my Crusader.

_BANG!_

I jumped as grating from the floor was blown off by a trio of attacking Worker Rachni. Scratch that, we all jumped, and started shooting like crazy until each one was down for good. I can see why Adrian hates bugs. They are sneaky little bastards, and are downright creepy too. Luckily, the workers weren't protected by an outer skin of armor like the Warriors. Wrex made sure the three Rachni were dead by shooting off the heads of each one, and then stomping on the corpses. Can't be too careful I guess.

We entered the elevator, and caught our breathes. I was still a little jumpy, but Liara was shaking. I placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright Liara?" I asked. She looked at me and gave me a small smile.

"Yes, just shaken. I can see why Adrian has a deep hatred for bugs." I chuckled at that, and looked at him. He was leaning on the elevator wall, his head slumped down. Probably taking a quick breather. "But, I'm also worried Shepard. What was my mother doing here? Is she a part of all this? Is should doing this for Saren?" I looked at her, trying to find a reassuring way to comfort her. I didn't really have anything.

"I don't know Liara, but we will find out. I promise." She nodded, and looked away. Probably didn't feel like talking, so I gave a quick squeeze of reassurance on her shoulder and went up to Adrian. His head went up and turned towards me.

"How are you holding up Adrian?" I asked, my voice soft this time. I wasn't asking like a soldier would ask their comrades. I was asking as a friend, as a girlfriend, would ask. He hummed.

"Is it safe to say that my dislike for bugs has turned into deep hatred now?" I smiled.

"Yeah, I guess that is fair. I'm starting to hate them too."

"Good. Bugs can't be trusted. And just saying this now, but if I see a cockroach in the Normandy, I'm going to unleash hell until the thing is dead." I laughed lightly.

"Just as long as you don't put bullet holes on my ship."

"Aw, now you are just taking the fun away. Not cool Eden, not cool." I giggled and left him to check on Wrex. The elevator is that slow.

"Wrex. You okay?" I asked. He didn't look at me.

"This isn't right Shepard. The Rachni shouldn't be around anymore. My people made sure of that." He sounded angry, mixed with annoyed. I would be lying if I said I didn't feel the same way. It was the same feeling I had towards ExoGeni and the Thorian. I honestly cried in my quarters. Cried for the people who were forced to live in that test area. For the people turned into those Creepers. And for Fai Dan, who killed himself so that we, I, can stop the Thorian. Feros… was a rough mission to begin with.

"I know this angers you Wrex. It makes me angry all the same. But I need to make sure you won't fly off into some bloodrage because of it. I need you on your A game." Wrex this time looked at me and nodded.

"Don't worry Shepard, I have your back. I won't charge unless you order me too. Or, if you need someone's ass pulled out of the fire. Either way, I'm yours to command." I smiled at him and nodded.

The elevator doors opened and we were greeted by pointing rifles and pistols. Oh damn. Wrex and Adrian quickly reacted and pointed their own weapons. Yeah, still glad I brought to professionals with me. Liara would of froze. Well, actually she did.

"Hold your fire! Hold your fire! They aren't Rachni!" An older bald man with what looked like white Guardian armor, and an Avenger rifle in hand. He looked experienced. Enough to keep his fellow security team from shooting us. I brought my hand up and then lowered it, give the signal for my own team to lower their own weapons. Although they were a little slow to lower their own shotgun and pistols, they did. Being cautious never hurt anyone.

"I'm sorry about that, but we have been on edge ever since these damn bugs showed up," The bald man said. He then saluted and nodded. "Captain Ventralis, Peak 15 security."

I followed up with my own salute. "Commander Eden Shepard, Alliance Navy. Can you give me a stirep on the situation Captain?"

"Well if you made it this far you've noticed the bug problem we are having," he started.

"No kidding…" I heard Adrian mumble. The Captain continued.

"I don't have the slightest clue how they got out of their pens, but they have been wrecking havoc all over the Peak. Can't say how many we lost on the first wave." His eyes dropped a little. He reminded me of an N7 named Daniel. He was a survivor, the only survivor, of Akuze. Thresher Maw's killed everyone on his team, and he survived. He was… never the same after that. He resigned and disappeared.

"My men are tired, running on stims, and morale is low. And we are running low on clips. I'm not sure how long we can survive. Maybe a small wave or two, but if more than one of those Warriors show up, we are all dead. That and-"

"Captain! We are picking up movement below us!" A turian yelled from his cover, looking at his omnitool.

"Damnit! Another wave… Everyone brace yourselves!" Everyone, including my own team went into defensive mode, taking cover behind the make shift barrier Ventralis and his team made. Over all, I counted six officers including Ventralis. And I could see two body bags, zipped up on the side. I'm sure there are more than just two body bags, but I didn't want to think on it.

Wrex and Adrian took post where the barrier was weakest. On the left with only two officers with warn out Avenger rifles. Liara took cover on my right with the other soldiers, and I stood next to the Captain, my Crusader loaded and my biotic's primed.

I could hear the sounds of metal banging, and claws scratching away through the ducts. An occasional screech here and there. Everyone was looking around, trying to spot where the Rachni will show up. It was eerie, almost unsettling. Not knowing where the enemy will show up. I felt blind.

Then one of the duct flew into the air, causing all of us to point our weapons at the hole. Everything and everyone was silent, and seconds turned into minutes. The calm before the storm they say. Then we could all hear a sharp, whistling sound coming from the hole. The hell? I looked over to the Captain, and I could see fear playing on his face. I looked back at the hole. Something is coming. The whistling stopped, and my eyes widened. I knew what it was.

Crashing out of the hole, causing floor plating to explode out, was a large Warrior Rachni.

"Fire!" Yelled the Captian. And we didn't hesitate. Bullets started flying at the Warrior, causing it to stagger a bit however it was still making its advance. I could see the sickle like antenna protruding out of its head, and its pincer like mouth opened as it made a charge.

It headed straight for me and the Captain, only to be stopped by a Carnage round. Wrex, I love you. Wrex and Adrian started a rampage and fired a barage of Carnage and explosive Ballitic Blades into the Rachni. So far it was working on keeping the Warrior at bay, however it was short lived. Three Worker Rachni came out from the hole and started making their own advances. This time, I let lose a fully charged Warp field into a Worker, dropping it for good. I've noticed how the Workers seem to have a weakness to Biotic's.

After I dropped the first worker, a larger Fire explosion blew out. I shielded my eyes from the heat of the blast. Once the smoke cleared I looked at saw the Worker barely standing on two legs. It was on its own rampage, trying to bite anything that came close. Adrian and Wrex did some work that was for sure. Plus, the blast caught the other two Workers, weakening them for everyone else to take them down. Once the Workers were down, everyone unloaded their weapons into the Warrior. The kept trying to take a bite into someone, but only in vain. The Warrior slowly, but surely, died in the floor in a pool of green bug like blood. And good riddance too.

Once everyone was sure that the Rachni was dead, a few engineers quickly moved to patch the hole up. Everything to make sure another wave wouldn't show up so easily. Now that I look at it, I could see all the patch work done to keep the Rachni out. And it looks like in some area's there has been more than one plat of metal bolted into the walls and floor.

"Thanks Commander for the assist. Not sure why you are here, but I don't have room to complain. You are welcome to take some supplies, although we are running short. Anything you can do to help end this would be much appreciated." The Captain then saluted and went back to leading the team fixing up the barrier. My own team went up to the make shift camp. Officers, employees, and scientists were all scrambling trying to keep each other alive. Some of those holding rifles looked like they've never seen battle before.

We moved around and found a corner. We took stoke on what we had and on what we needed. Once we got a list filled out for what we needed, we split up and got everything. Wrex and Adrian handled clips and grenades, and Liara and I handled medical supplies. Listening and observing everyone I could tell that everyone was scared. Even the Elcor was scared with his monotone voice. He was kind enough to sell us some mods for our weapons that could help against the Rachni. And a Volus mentioned something about a Doctor going down to the Hot Labs to try and fix the contamination. Something to look into in.

After we all finished we meet up in our corner. We split up our supplies accordingly, Wrex and Adrian getting a majority of the clips. Mainly cause they were our weapons experts, and focused on using their guns to solve their problems. Well, Tech also for Adrian's case. While exchanging supplies, I noticed Adrian was looking around, as if he noticed something was wrong. It was slightly discouraging.

"Something wrong Adrian?" I asked in a hushed tone. I didn't want anyone else outside the squad to listen in on our conversations. He didn't look at me, and kept his focus on two security officers on the other side of the room, watching us.

"Can't say for sure, but something doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?" I asked. Liara and Wrex moving closer to hear what we were talking about.

"This room feels… dead. I mean, I know they are fighting an enemy the galaxy hasn't seen in god knows how long. But a majority of the survivors are… almost dull. I'm sure you've noticed how quiet it is here."

I drew my attention to the room. He was right. There was an almost dead silence in the room, as if we were all in a funeral service. That and the faces almost looked dead, as if they knew they weren't going to make it alive. It sent shivers down my spine looking at them.

"I don't know about you," Adrian continued, "but if I was holed up in some room knowing that a few security officers were my only line of survival, I'll be freaking out. But you look at these people, and what do you see? Nothing. What do you hear? Nothing. It is as if these people are already dead."

I looked at the people. I didn't want to admit it, but in a way, he was right. The secruity officers were probably the only ones in the room moving around and doing something. The civilians, the employees, they just sat there. Some staring at filled body bags, and others just leaning against a few crates. Yeah, someone who is probably a medical expert would check in on someone, but that was it. Nothing else. Like they were already dead.

"Observation aside, what is our next move?" Adrian asked, probably to change the subject. I don't blame him.

"Should we move in for Benezia?" asked Liara.

"I don't think this will be the right time, with all the Rachni around," Wrex said. He had a point. Even if we arrest Benezia, we still have to worry about the Rachni. And I'm not so keen on fighting bugs while we have the enemies second in command in tow. It could complicate things.

"Wrex is right. We can't move forward with the Rachni still around. I asked around, and there is a Doctor in the Hot Labs that was going to enact a purge. He hasn't checked in, so that should be our a place to start. What do you all think?" I finished. The three of them looked at each other for a moment, waiting to see if anyone will come up with something better. Wrex I knew wanted to get rid of the Rachni as soon as possible. Liara would want to get to her mother. And as for Adrian. I'm sure he just wanted to get this mission over with and head back to the Normandy.

No one said anything, and so we all headed towards the Hot Labs. Ventralis was kind enough to point us in the right direction. We followed a small hallway, being ambushed by a few Swarmers, Adrian cursing and burning them with his Flamer, and continued to an elevator. A very fun trip. The elevator was actually a slow ride but short ride. The doors opened and we were greeted by a large empty room. The only thing taking up space was a crate, being used a seat by an older man.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" said Wrex. I feel the same way my friend.

"Wrex, Liara. Stay here and cover the elevator. Adrian, you're with me."

"Got it," Adrian said. That accent. Even with all the bugs around, that accent is just so, I don't know, amazing. Anyway, back to work Eden.

Adrian and I, with our weapons at the ready, slowly moved to the man sitting on the crate. He was motionless, and his head was slumped down. Not a good sign. Adrian moved in closer, and with his revolver, he poked at the man. The man's body moved back, and then fell to the floor. Two large stab wounds on his chest.

"Damn… Looks like a Warrior managed to get to him before he could do anything." He holstered his weapons, and knelt next the corpse. He picked up what looked like a datapad, and started reading through this.

"Would you look at that…" he mumbled. I moved closer, and peered over his shoulder to see what he was reading.

"What does it say?"

"These are the codes to use to enact the purge. I just need to punch it into a terminal, and the purge should start."

"Alright, should be a terminal in the next room we could use." He looked up at me.

"Have you ever watched horror movies Eden?" His tone hinted sarcasm.

"Some… Why?"

"Normally, whenever there is an empty room and the only thing that could be used to kill the bad guy just so happens to be in the next room. However, whenever one gets said miracle weapon shit always goes to hell. That and someone always dies. Normally the comic relief."

"And your point is?" I crossed my arms.

"Uhh, I don't want to die. I mean come on. This mission would have been boring if not for me."

"Oh really?"

"Well yeah. You think Liara will be able to through in a joke? No. Unless it has something to do with archaeology, or Protheans, and we all know those are train wrecks."

"I heard that!" Liara's voice came from the elevator, earning Adrian to chuckle. I simply rolled my eyes and headed for the other room, taking the datapad from Adrian. He sighed and quickly caught up to me. We found a terminal, and I started typing away the codes for the purge.

**"Please enter code to activate purge," **Mira, the V.I, said.

"Not her again…" Adrian said under his breath. I found it mildly amusing how annoyed he got by the V.I. I typed in the code for the purge, and the terminal started to flicker.

**"Code is correct. Initiating purge. Warning: Purge will eliminate all organic life within the Hot Labs. Warning: Large quantities of Rachni are converging towards this area. One minute till purge is active."**

"Oh for the love of God! It just had to say that part last!" Adrian yelled. Almost instantly after, banning, screeching and gun fire were heard in the other room.

"Let's get out of here!" I yelled. Adrian didn't hesitate and we bolted out of the room, only to be stopped by a horde of Rachni. Wrex and Liara were holding the Rachni back, but they wouldn't be able to give us cover.

"Eden! Get behind me and stay close! Things are about to get hot!" Adrian yelled. He got in front of me and quickly activated his omnitool. Two Workers saw him and began a charge. "Not today you fucking freaks!" A stream of molten omnigel flew out of Adrian omnitool, engulfing the two Workers in fire. He grabbed my hand, and with the Flamer carving a way past the Rachni. We were making progress, but about half way the Flamer Tech ran out of juice. That is when we made a ran for it.

Adrian lead the way, activating his shield and bash away any Rachni that tried to attack us. What made matters worse however was that a Worker busted in the room and made a charge at us. That is when all bets were off and we made a mad dash for the elevator. Wrex was blasting away any Rachnin that got close, and Liara made sure the elevator doors wouldn't close on us. We were almost there, and the time was not helping.

"Jump for it!" I yelled. And Adrian and I leapt for the elevator. Liara use her biotic's and pulled us in. We crashed into the elevator, and Liara slammed the button. The doors closed right before the Warrior made it in.

**"Purge activated." **There was a low rumble that grew louder. The elevator started to shake, and I could hear the screeching of the Rachni. It lasted for about a few more seconds till the screeching was silent. The rumbling lasted a few more seconds after that, and then finally stopped. Everything was quiet in the elevator except for the panting from Adrian and myself.

**"Purge ending. Rachni contamination no longer present in Hot Labs."**

I didn't move. I just laid on the floor. Adrian as well. I could hear him breathing heavy.

"You okay Adrian?" I asked, not moving from my position. He was silent for a moment until he took a breath.

"You know. Even after all this, I still hate bugs…" was all he said. Wrex and Liara chuckled at his comment. And I, myself, couldn't help but join in. He was right. He was the comic relief in the mission. And I was glad to not be in a horror movie.

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**And that's a wrap. Hope ya'll enjoyed this chapter. I made sure to give Eden her time in the limelight, and gave her the POV. A little fun fact: I really do hate bugs. Like with a passion. I may be a guy, but I'm allowed some fears. And Bugs, especially Spiders, freak me out. They are not of this Earth, I swear! And heights is just gods way to scare people. Just throwing that out there.**

**Next up in Spade: Shepard Vs Benezia. Mother and Daughter throw down. And the end of Noveria, thank god! What will happen? Will the Commander spare the Rachni Queen, or will she burn it for good? Will Liara be able to fight her mother? Will Adrian conquer his fear of bugs? Will Wrex get that message mod for his armor? ... Okay the last may not happen, but I think the old Krogan needs some rewards. Anyway... Stay tuned for the next chapter in Mass Effect: Spade.**

**Keep reading and stay sexy my friends.**

**KD**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello Ladies and Gentlemen! And welcome to Mass Effect: Spade. This chapter is a big one. Where the crew faces off against Benezia. Either than that, I really don't have much to say.**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 17: Versus Benezia

Adrian's POV

Just to be honest with everyone, I was really hoping that the elevator would go slower for once. I knew what was going to happen, and I prayed that it wouldn't. Anyone who actually played the first game remembers the good Captain Ventralis, and couldn't help but feel bad for the guy. He was just a security officer, trying to keep his men and the remaining employees alive. But the bitch Benezia orders them to kill Shepard. And not a single moment of hesitation either. Just a "sorry Commander, but orders are orders". Load of bullshit really. I made sure to keep my hands on my revolvers just to be safe.

Another thing that was inevitable was the fight with Benezia. It is going to be our toughest fight thus far. And the fact that Liara would be here only complicates things. Yeah in the game she was okay at first, then heartbroken, and then totally fine with it. But this isn't a game anymore, and if she was like any other child, she would rather protect her mother than try to kill her. I thought it over and over and over, but the assassin in me won. If there is anything that will get in the way of you and your target, you would get rid of it before it becomes too big of a problem. Meaning that if Liara tries to be a heroic daughter, I will not hesitate. I can't. I've hesitated before and all that has done was get someone killed. And I will not make that same mistake twice.

The last thing that got me nervous was what Benezia has in this damned place. A Rachni Queen. I know most Paragons will spare the queen and let her be on her merry way. However, knowing that she will be captured by the Reapers and breed an army of Ravagers doesn't sit well with me. Not only that, but I'm looking at the bigger picture. I shouldn't, cause there is a huge chance we will all die, but I am anyway. The queen here, if allowed to live, will not be the one and only. She will be replaced, and we have no idea what that new queen will think. There is a possibility that it will keep the promise of not coming back, or, and I really hate to say it, but it could start another war. Some may hate me for thinking it, but I studied history and the scenario is always the same. One leader will promise happiness and peace, but once that leader is gone and replaced, the new one will completely change things. And in some cases, start a war. Germany in World War II anyone? Or better yet, Russia? Korea? You do the math.

Enough of this thinking, you need to focus Adrian. When the time comes, then I will act, but right now I need to make sure we all made it to Benezia alive. And just to make me shake my head, the elevator stops. The doors open and I could see the Captain and his team, their guns pointed at us. Well shit.

"Sorry Commander, but Benezia ordered to stop you. Team take them-"

His head exploded, a single gunshot ringed in the room. And I pulled the trigger. Call me a Renegade, but it had to be done. His team were shocked at first, and I took the opportunity. I took out my other revolver and fired a barrage of bullets at the other security officers. Taking one more out. The others took cover. I felt Eden glaring at me, but I shook it off. Right now, I had an obstacle in my way to a target, and I was not going to let that stop me.

The four of us charged out of the elevator, and did our own version of a Japanese bonsai rush. Only with loaded weapons instead of bayonets. We took out the perimeter team with ease, and rushed into next room. There were about six or seven officers here. Strange. I was sure there was more people here, unless… I shook my head. I didn't want to get think about something like that. I may be an assassin, a professional murderer some would call it, but killing innocent lives doesn't sit well with me. At least not anymore.

As we charged in I saw a Turian aim his rifle at Liara. I quickly reacted and quick activated my Omni-Bow, firing a charged arrow into the Turian's skull. Luck, that's all it really was at that moment. Still, headshot is a headshot. And when you get to the point where that is all you aim for, I guess it becomes second nature.

"GAAAH!"

I jumped when I heard someone scream, and I turned my attention to Wrex. He slammed an Asari into the ground, which caused the scream. But what he did next will forever be burned into my mind. He took out his shotgun, aimed it at her skull, and fired. Head was completely gone. And the look on her face. Uttermost fear. I hoped Liara didn't see that. She would probably of lost it right then and there.

Eden took out two more officers, and I killed the last one. We checked our bearings, and I checked the other rooms. What I found answered my initial fears. The civilians, the employees, were all piled in a mess of corpses. A few Salarians, the Elcor, a Volus, Asari, and Humans. There was one, human, that grabbed my attention. She was young, probably in her early twenties. She had brunette hair kept in a ponytail. Her eyes were open, and I could see dead green eyes looking at me. I felt like I was being judged at that moment. And I couldn't shake the feeling of regret. Regret knowing that she could've been saved. Even though there was nothing I really couldn't have done. I knelt down, and picked her body up and laid her on a cot. Placed her arms on her chest, and closed her eyes. I covered her body with a sheet.

"Wow…" A voice, female, and very familiar. I looked over and saw Eden at the doorway. She probably witnessed the entire scene. She walked towards me, and placed a hand on my shoulder. A face of concern.

"Are you okay Adrian?" she asked. She couldn't see my face, but I was a mixture of emotions. Or better yet, lost of emotion. I felt numb. Angry at first, saddened, confused, regretful and now? Just numb. I looked at the body, and I could see her face. That heartbroken young face. I wasn't okay, but I couldn't tell Eden that. She would worry. Call me prideful.

"I just want to finish this mission," was all that I said. I walked away from her. Probably a dick move, but at the moment, I don't care. I'm sure she would understand, and I know that she will want to talk about it when we get back to the Normandy. And I wasn't lying either. I wanted to get off this planet. Away from the cold, the bugs, and this… slaughter. Am I serouisly feeling this way? This regret? And why? I'm a fucking assassin for Christ sake! For seven years all I ever did was kill. I've seen shit that would scar a man for life. Ever seen a Batarian slave pin? Fucking sick. Downright disgusting. Or an Red Sand tripper who overdosed? Horrible, almost didn't even look human. I've seen the dead, the living that should be dead, and killed those who deserved to be dead. Death was just natural now. And yet, seeing that one girl. A girl I didn't even know, is causing me to feel this way. I wanted to beat my head against the wall. But that will have to wait. For right now, I wanted to kill something.

I got my wish too. Two more officers rushed in the room. Through a door that was closest to me. I didn't even flinch. I withdrew my revolver and in two quick shots, I blew off the head of each one. Okay, maybe not completely, but they were dead. I could feel the others looking at me. One I knew was impressed, and that was Wrex, but the others I felt concern. And fear. Probably Liara.

After that, we left the room. We ran into a few more guards, but they were easy to get rid of. It was two turrets that had us pinned. The turrets just kept firing, not skipping a beat. Even I was to rush in with my shield, there was a chance I would get clipped by a bullet. And I made the personal goal into not going into the med bay again.

Either it was some higher being, or a stroke of luck, the turrets stopped firing. They needed to vent their guns. That is when we sprang into action and took out the turrets. I fired a fully charged Overload which did short work for one, and Eden and Liara took out the other with Biotic combination. Good riddance too. I hate turrets. After Mass Effect 3, I will never love turrets again. Ever!

We exited the hallway, and entered the tram station. Almost there. Just a quick ride on the tram, and Benezia will be a few steps away. One by one, we entered the tram, and with a few strokes on a terminal, Eden activated the tram. We sat in silence. Wrex was in his signature stance on one of the walls. Liara was seated, and I could tell she was shaking. Her nerves were getting to her. Eden was looking out the tram window. And I? I was just seated with my arms crossed. Just counting the seconds really.

As I was seated, I heard the soft footsteps coming towards me. I looked up and saw Eden. Guess I can't wait for the Normandy.

"Adrian. What happened back there? I've never seen you act this way before," she said. I almost held a scoff. We've barely known each other for a few months, how would she know how I acted? Easy, Adrian. Don't let your nerves get to you.

"I just reacted Eden. Pure primal instinct is all," was my response. She shook her head and sat next to me.

"I'm not asking about that. I'm asking about what happened with those bodies." So it's that then.

"Can it wait till we get to the Normandy?"

"No." Fuck. I sighed and took a deep breath.

"I don't know Eden." She gave me look, and I put my hands up. "Honest, I don't know," I looked away from her. "I' saw a lot during my work as an assassin. Terrible things really. At first it was disgusting, and I felt terrible, but over time I got use to it. I was use to all the death, which probably isn't a good thing now that I think about it. But, when I saw that girl, when I looked into her eyes, I felt… different."

"What do you mean?" Eden asked.

"At first I was angry. I wanted revenge for what had happened to her. Then, saddened mixed in with confused and regret. And lastly," this time I looked at Eden. "I felt like I was being judged by her. Like she was saying that everything I did was so hateful, so… wrong, that I'll never be able to be redeemed." I shrugged and sighed. "Like I said. I don't know."

Eden just looked at me with a concern look. I guess she was trying to formulate everything I said. It was the same back at the Citadel, when I told her almost everything I've done before I joined up with the Normandy. She just looked at me, concern clearly on her face. Only, at that time it was dealing with my past, and she was probably able to say something, anything, that would help me cope. But this time, the feeling I was getting, was right now. And it was hell of confusing.

She made a gesture that she was going to speak, however, the tram came to a stop and the railing opened. She looked at the doors that would lead to possibly an upcoming battle. She watched Wrex and Liara make their way out of the tram, and then looked at me. I stood up and offered her my hand to help her up.

"We'll talk about this later," I said. She raised a brow.

"Promise?" I chuckled.

"Yeah. I promise." She looked at me for a moment, then took my hand. I hoisted her up and she let out a sigh as she started walking away.

"We are going to have a lot to talk about." And that she was right about. We were going to have a lot to discuss after today.

We followed the hallway, and in a few steps we will be meeting the Matriarch. During all this, I was mentally preparing myself. I've read fic's where they try and save the Matriarch, or try to change the story. Don't get me wrong, I would do the same. Hell, I am with the Mandalorian's. But with Benezia. I can give a shit. And honestly with the Rachni, they can fucking burn. So the way I was preparing myself was like I use to during certain jobs. The only thing was I couldn't tell myself that I could use the credits to by that one modification I always wanted. Or always hit up the bar. Which is always fun.

The only trouble was that this time, it was difficult to focus. Especially with all that is happening in my life right now. I was use to fighting for one, myself. Yeah during a time I was fighting for Stephanie but it was more in a sense of bringing food on the table, which isn't hard in my line of work. But now? Totally different. For one, I'm making sure Eden stays alive, which is an Organization mission and a person mission meshed in one. Two, the Mandalorian's. I'm the only one in the galaxy, that I know of, that actually knows everything about the Mandalorian's. If I die, than that dream dies. Plus, I promised Wrex he would be an honorary member when I get it started. And I don't back away from promises.

As we entered the area we would be fighting Benezia, I froze. The first thing that caught my eye was the big fucking bug in the tube like cell. The queen. I felt chills role up my spin. Oh how I hate bugs. What made it worse was that the thing actually looked towards me. I actually flinched and readied my revolvers.

"Commander Shepard." Enter the busty Asari now. This is when I tune out the epic monologue. I can care less what she has to say. I've played the game so I know. How Saren is an unstoppable force, and that his flagship is the Ferrari of dreadnaughts. Yeah, I know the whole thing. Sort of.

What my major concern was is the movement I was picking up on the other side of the room. From what I could tell, it was the Commandos. Oh this is going to be just like that one time on Illium. I'm already shaking with excitement.

"Have you ever faced an Asari Commando unit Commander? Few humans have," the Matriarch said. And this is when I enter.

"I have," I said in my best outlaw Han Solo voice I can give. You know, cocky and badass and can easily show it kind of voice. The Matriarch, and everyone else actually, (including the queen which was really creepy) was staring at me. Benezia looked pissed, but everyone else looked dumbfounded. I shrugged, causing Eden to roll her eyes.

"It was on Illium. Had to take out an Asari Matriarch, and their Commando unit got in the way. Pretty easy if you know where to aim." Liara's mouth dropped, but it was Benezia little "Ah moment" that got me.

"So you are the infamous Spade. You are regarded and most feared on Thessia."

"Hold up. I'm famous on Thessia? Alright!" I said. I earned a face palm from Shepard, and a chuckle from Wrex. Liara was unmoved. Still shocked at my badass enigma. Can't blame her.

"More like, infamous. Everyone wants you dead after you killed Matriarch Astra. She was a good friend." I gave my famous shrug.

"Infamous, famous, same thing." That got the bitch to twitch. I saw her biotic's flow. Just the moment I was waiting for. As she was getting ready to throw her Stasis field at us, I took out my revolvers and started firing a barrage of bullets at her. I couldn't hit her, on the count that a Commando put up a Barrier field, but it gave us the chance to get to cover. The fight is on.

Eden and Liara stayed put, and started a biotic duel with a trio of Asari. Wrex and I took cover on the other side and started blasting away at anything that charged at us. Which was only one really stupid Commando. Probably a greenhorn, but she was obliterated by a combo of Warp and an Amp Tech filled arrow. Biotic explosions, so beautiful yet so deadly. Speaking of biotic explosions, Liara and Eden were ripping their way to Benezia. They were about halfway until another wave of enemies came up. This time a mix of Geth and Asari.

This is when I actually respected Liara. She was clever with Biotics. She first threw up a Singularity at an enemies position and fired a set of Warp and Throw rounds, causing a Flare like explosion. I've only seen a Flare once during my time here, and they are hell of scary. But, she was able to push towards her mother. The only thing I could see was both of their Biotic's flared and started a power tug of war. Their biotic energy in a large mass of energy in between them. Eden was holding off a few troops herself. I wanted to head over to her, but if I do it would leave Wrex on his own.

That is when I came up with a plan. If I could get to the end of the room, I could put a hack on the door and seal it, not allowing enemies to enter. Plus, It would allow Wrex and I to give assistance to Eden on the single position. The only thing was actually getting there. Luckily I had a plan for that too.

"Wrex. I have an idea." I looked at him, and he fired a few shots from his Crusader, before he looked to me. "We need to move and take that position if we are ever going to win this."

"And how do you purpose we do that?"

"Remember the maneuver we used at the Reactor core? With my shield?" I asked him. He didn't have to think it over. He smiled and nodded, causing me to do the same. I gave the single for three seconds, at the same time I was activating my omnitool.

Three. Wrex reloaded his shotgun.

Two. I checked over my shields.

One…

With a quick burst of speed we I took off, slamming my shield on the floor. The Geth and Commando's panicked and started pelting my shield. They focused everything on me. Bullet's, Biotic's, and Tech slamming into my shield. I could feel my arm straining, but I was still confident that this will work. Because there was one thing the enemy did not see coming. A Krogan Battlemaster named Urdnot Wrex, behind me with a Claymore shotgun. He blasted the first Hunter that had the balls to charge. One shot, and white Synthetic blood sprayed on his allies. He followed up with another shot, taking out an Asari.

We moved in a rhythmic pace. The tempo from the bullets being fired by Geth pulse rifles. The harmony from the Biotic ripping in the room. The rhythm of the powers slamming into my shield. And the beat of Wrex's shotgun ripping through any unfortunate sole, or program, that tried to take us on. We punched through like we were our own little army. In a matter of a few seconds we were already on top of the position. And that's when things got more physical. There were three Commando's that stood their ground.

I slammed my shield into the one unfortunate enough to be close to me. How my shield lasted this long, I couldn't say, like I was complaining. Thanks to my Cyro tech on my shield, her barriers had to use its energy to make sure she wouldn't freeze. She thankfully slammed into her teammates, and I used a quick Snap Freeze. They were almost frozen and weak enough for Wrex to come in and finish them off.

I didn't see what he was doing to them. I was to focused on hacking the lock on the door. Keeping the flow of reinforcments is always key in a fight. Either it is war or just a hit job. The less enemies, the more likely you can win. It's just not always that cut and dry. I wish it was. The door was simple, almost too easy for me. But when you get that good as I am with Tech, hacking almost becomes second nature. The door locked, and for extra measure I placed my own counter measure in case anyone tries to hack through.

Satisfied I turned, and I noticed Wrex was already finished with the three Commandos. He was now behind a crate shooting at the last position. Geth and a few Commandos were left. They way I see it, we repeat what just did, lock the door to completely cut the flow of reinforcements, end this fight, and get back to the Normandy in time for dinner. Easy? I wish.

A biotic explosion sung in the room like a Banshee on her "special" day. Wrex and I looked and could see that both Liara and Eden were taking on Benezia. Matriarch's are tough son of a bitches when they get down to it. That is why most Justicar's are at the Matriarch stage. Eden and Liara were struggling against Benezia. Wrex and I both knew that we needed to get to them. Two against a Matriarch is almost suicide, but four? Then there is a fighting chance. The only problem was the group of Geth and Commando's that were in our way.

I unloaded both clips in my revolvers, taking down a Hunter before it got to close to us. Wrex took out its partner with two well placed shots. Either than that, we were in a stalemate, and that is not good. The only thing that we had going good was for us was that we were alive, and their own were being killed. Which you know is always good.

An Asari fired a Warp field at me, and luckily the crate I was behind took the damage. I needed to be extra careful. If I get hit by any Biotic power, I'm as good as dead. Being killed by deadly Biotic disease did not sit well with me. Thankfully, Wrex had my back and sent his own Warp field. While he was working on a barrage of powers, I was picking off any with my Omni-Bow. Kill a Commando there, a Geth there.

Then it me. A plan, albeit crazy as hell, but a plan. If I could fire off some arrows at Benezia, I could either to one of two things. One, which I was hoping for, would be to distract Benezia and give Liara and Eden an edge. Or two, I can take her down. Probably not kill her, but at least have her immobile for the time being. Yeah, crazy.

During my planning, two Commando's bolted for Eden and Liara. I had to quickly take them out with Armor-piercing induced arrows. Honestly, the best damn arrows I have at the moment. They can rip through armor like a hot knife on butter. Nice and clean. When the first one dropped, her buddy freaked and started shooting at me. This is when I started hating the Disciple. Damned shotgun had a decent enough range, and in this room, decent was good in those standards. Lucky for me, she had a limited amount of shots she can fire. I, can keep firing arrows as long as I had omnigel. And when you are a Tech junkie like me, you have more than enough.

When I see reloading her shotgun, I took my chance and fired. She dropped with a scream as the arrow pierced her. This was my chance. Seeing as there aren't any more distractions, I might as well bite the bullet and go. I loaded another omnigel fused arrow and aimed for Benezia. I only had so much room to aim for her, that distracting her is probably my only chance. As I was trying to get my line of sight adjusted, I noticed that Eden and Liara are almost burnt out. They both have been using way to many Biotic's this entire mission, and it was taking a toll on them.

What made my heart race though was seeing Benezia practically lift them both and slamming them into a wall. Oh hell no!

With a twitch of my finger, the mechanism that worked the bow went to work. I felt that arrow release from its perch, and I watched the yellow tipped arrow fly off. Time slowed for a bit as the arrow flew through the air. None of our enemies noticed, including Benezia, which made this shot so much more exciting.

"GAAAAAAHHH!" Benezia screamed. The arrow pierced her side. And in good timing too. She was getting ready to unleash some Biotic energy on Eden and Liara. Which probably could have done some serious damage. Or worse, kill them. The two Biotic exclusive team members saw the window and took it. Sending both Warp and Throw fields onto Benezia, she was caught in a barrage of Biotics. She screamed out in pain, and I just knew that this was tearing Liara apart. I just told myself it had to be done.

The last few moments were a quick blur. From what I could tell, there was a fierce Biotic explosion coming from Benezia's position. And Wrex unloaded all his grenades on the remaining group of enemies that stood in our way. I just Overloaded a Geth during that process. Wrex then said it was clear, and we took off to Eden and Liara.

Liara was… well let's just say she was both pissed, and sad all in one. She was holding her mother, screaming something. I knew that Benezia was dead, and she probably knew it too. But she was still heartbroken. Hell I would be too if I had to kill my own mother. In a way, I'm thankful that I never have to worry about that anymore.

Eden on the other hand was on the border line of passing out. She was exhausted, and that is the least of it. She was injured too. Not enough like me on Feros, or Therum, but she will need to check in with Doc when we get back to the Normandy. I handed her a ration to help boost her energy and keep her awake. Someone needs to drive the Mako, as messed up as that sounds. She smiled up at me and started to nibble at the ration.

As for Wrex. Well, let's say he was making sure all the corpses we left were actually dead. It was sort of disturbing in a way, and also kind of hurt. I always go for a kill shot, so seeing Wrex making sure that a body I know I shot was actually dead, kind of hurts my feelings. What can I say, I'm a sensitive guy.

And me? I was still numb, almost on a different wave length than everyone else. Eden was exhuasted but I could tell she was saddened at what happened to Benezia. Liara… well you get the idea. And Wrex was starting to get frustrated with the giant bug in the tank. Can we kill it now? My wavelength was more like I didn't give a shit at what happened. Which worried me. I know I don't attach myself with jobs, but I feel something when I kill. This time? I was just cold, numb, not even feeling what was going. It was weird.

I shook it off, and walked up to the tank. Maybe if I find the controls, I can kill it before it-

"You have won…" I jumped and took out my revolvers. Everyone else did the same, only not take out their weapons. They rushed to the tank and looked at it. The queen was staring at us.

"You have won…" Same voice, female, and… detached? Almost monotone, lifeless. I heard footsteps coming behind us, and we turned to see a Commando struggling to stand up. This is when I tune everything out again. To me, this wasn't important even when I played the game. I just get pressing the blue X button on my xbox controller, skipped through the scene, and kill the queen. Not one question asked.

"Will you free… us? Will you let us… Sing again?"The queen asked. Here we go.

"What!?" Wrex. "You can't be considering this Shepard. Millions of Krogan died to end the Rachni wars. Just fry the damn thing and let's go."

"We can't do that!" This time Liara. Always found it freaky how she recovers that quickly from losing her mother. "We will be putting a species through extinction. Plus she promised she will not attack. She will hide herself from the galaxy. We wouldn't have to worry about her."

Oh for the love of-

"You can't be that naïve Liara," I spoke out loud. Everyone looked at me. "You really trust it to honor its word? It's a bug, and its children killed so many lives on this station. And even if she remotely honored its promise, you think future generations will?"

She didn't answer. I crossed my arms. "Your silence is your answer. Just fry it Eden." She looked at us, then at the queen. Time slowed again as they locked eyes. I swear if this is like the movies where the hunter and the hunted lock eyes and have a revelation I'm going-

"I'm going to free it." FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCKKKKKKK!

"You can't be serious!" I yelled out. Eden looked at me surprised. "Eden, its species almost wiped out everything in the galaxy. What makes you think, for a second, that this one wouldn't try it?"

"I don't, but I will not end an entire race because of it." I clenched my fists. Yeah, I was angry. I turned and walked off. I didn't want to see the thing walk away. "You don't trust me Adrian?" Eden asked. I stopped for a moment. Only to keep walking.

"Don't come running to me when they start invading," was all I said. Yes, I hate bugs that much.

* * *

**Alright! Well, this was sort of difficult to write. But, alas, it was finished. I really don't have any authors note to add. Probably because I'm almost burnt out with school and writing. Don't worry, I wont disappear again. If anything, I'm ready to finish this and get on to the sequel.**

**Did I say that out loud? Oops!**

**I'm out! Have any questions feel free to ask!**

**Keep reading, and stay sexy.**

**KD**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello Ladies and Gentlemen! And welcome to the next chapter of Mass Effect: Spade. Now, first, I think I should apologize for not posting any sooner. A lot has been going this past week, and I didn't have time to work on Spade until the past weekend. A lot of personal issues, but not to worry, it has been resolved.**

**Now, for this chapter, it is mainly fluff with Eden and Adrian, but also some tension going with Adrian. Virmire is just around the corner, and I'm excited to get into that series of chapters. Some serious shit gets down, in the game and in Spade. **

**Also, I just have to say this. My condolences to all those who were lost this past week. The Boston Marathon bombings and West Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion. I'm a runner myself, and it is a dream of mine to run the Marathon. Seeing the bombings and hearing about the three who were killed and those who were injured, honestly made me sick. My condolences to the three families that will never be the same, and I wish a speedy and healthy recover for those who were injured during the attack. Also, being a Texan myself, the West, Texas Explosion is another tragedy that I wished never happened. My condolences to the firefighters that were killed, and to the families as well. So much tragedy in one week, and it got me to reflect. I spent my week calling all my friends I haven't talked to the past year and spend time with family. And I just have this to ask of you. Even in the midst of tragedy, keep those you love close to you and remember those you care for. No matter what country you live in, take the time to call those you care about, and spend time you have with them. You never know what will happen the next day.**

**That said, back to business.**

**With out further delay, I give you the next chapter for Mass Effect: Spade. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 18: Nightmares, Sweet Dreams, and Mess Hall Brawl's.

Adrian's POV

_I was floating, and everything was dark and cold. I opened my eyes and all I could see was nothing but a sea of black. Cold, empty, darkness. And I was just floating. Lifeless and unmoving. Was I dead? Did I fail?_

_"You have failed" What? A voice, but who? Who can it be?_

_"You have failed. Like the ones before you" Before me? What? Who was before me? What is going on? I tried to look around. Tried to see if there was anything. But I could not move. I could not feel. _

_"Everyone who has trusted you is dead, or doomed to death." What is this? What the fuck is going on?_

_A light. Light? It comes closer and it forms into the shape of a person. Who- Robert? Is that Robert?_

_"Names Robert. Robert Peers." Not Robert. A memory. The time I met my first team. There is Shun, little bastard. And then Stephanie. Her brown hair kept in a ponytail. Yes. This was the time I met them. _

_"Shun! Get away-" An explosion. Fire. Screams. Shun burnt to a crisp._

_"The first you have failed." That voice again._

_"Adrian! We need cover!" Another memory? _

_Yes. Illium. Robert, Steph, and myself were hired to take out an Asari working with the Eclipse mercs._

_"I have a shot Robert!" That was me. I remember. I had a close shot of the target, but Robert and Stephanie were pinned by mercs. _

_"Forget it Adrian! We need to get-"_

_"Robert!"_

_A warp field. I highly charged Warp field. Ripped through Roberts body as if it was nothing but wet paper. _

_"The second." Who the fuck is this!?_

_"Promise me you will retire from this? I can't bare the fact of losing you too Adrian." The Citadel. My apartment. Stephanie, in the nude, lying under my sheets. I just got called for another hit job. _

_"This is the last one Steph. I promise." I leaned in and kissed her. Then left. The memory fades in and another is replaced._

_"Where would you like to have dinner babe?" That was me._

_"Anywhere is fine. I heard there is a new Sushi place we can try out." Stephanie. Her hand in mine. We talk. We walked. Hand in hand with smiles on our faces. Then, she sees something. Something that causes her to run ahead._

_"I'm sorry…" she whispers. Tears in her eyes. I'm confused and step forward._

_Only to see her head pop. Blood and grey matter everywhere. _

_"The last you have failed. You have failed them all. And you will fail once again." _

_My memories. The images. Flashing. I see everyone. Everyone I've known. Nalik. Kadick and Reina. _

_"So. You've dated a Turian." Garrus and I talking in the mess._

_"What does Shepard like?" Liara asking me about Eden._

_"You think there is room for an old Krogan like me?" Wrex asking about the Mandalorians on Noveria._

_"That is a nice piece of armor." Ashley checking out my new armor._

_"How are you holding up?" Tali when I visited her during my recover from Feros._

_"Adrian." Kadian, on a normal day._

_And then, She came into view. Eden. The black hair, green eyed beauty from Mindior. All the memoires flashed before my eyes. The moment we first met (and pulled a gun on me). Therum and taking a Warp field for her, only increasing the damage I had on my burns. Fighting alongside her on Feros and Noveria. The night we talked when I woke up after Feros. The week of RnR when she and I spent all our time together. All the talks we had. Everything. This woman is the reason why I'm here. The reason why I'm still fighting. She gave me a purpose. A whole new purpose. And I WILL save her._

_"But you can't" That voice. Who is it? What is it?_

_"You can't change the course of destiny." What? "One will die on Virmire. And one will die after Saren."_

_No._

_"Yes."_

_No. I won't let that happen._

_"It is inevitable. A death must occur."_

_No. I can stop it. I can change it._

_"You can't. If you do, you will fail." _

_The how? How can I save her?_

_"In order to replace a death, there must be death."_

"Gaaah!" I screamed and shot up from my bed. My combat knife in my hand. Where am I? Steel room, desk, chair, terminal. My room? Yes. My room. I'm on the Normandy.

"Just a nightmare…" I placed my knife on my nightstand and swung my legs over. One hell of a nightmare, that is for sure. Never had something like that before. What did it mean?And what was that voice? Could it be- No. There is no way. They've been dead for a long time. But those memories. All the memories I have of everyone. Everyone I've met over the course of my time here in Mass Effect. From my old squad to this one.

"Ah, damn…" I hissed. My burns started to flare. Great. I'm really starting to hate these burns. I look at the time, and it is way too early, or late. One of the two. You know, that time of day where it is morning but really isn't. It just hurts thinking about it.

I stood up, put a pair of black athletic pants on and a pair of socks. Didn't really bother with a shirt. Heading for the med-bay, I thought everything over. It has been a few days since Noveria, and the Normandy is on standby. Joy. That and Eden and I had a slight argument. Over the Rachni Queen. I voted to have it killed, but she kept it alive. I know I hate bugs, but I was looking at the bigger picture. The queen will not be queen forever, and knowing nature, eventually a new queen will come and might just want to rule the galaxy. Eden's standpoint was that it wasn't for us to dictate whether or not a species lives or not. Either way, it was a pointless argument. At least I think it was.

Aside from that, I'm just waiting for the call to Virmire. More like dreading it. Virmire is going to leave scars for all of us.

_"One will die…" _

I winced. The hell was up with that voice? And what does it have to do with anything at all?

"It was just a dream Dawn… Just a dream." I told myself. Cause that is what it was. A dream. Nothing more and nothing less.

The doors opened and I was in the med-bay. To my luck, or bad luck, Tiffany or Doc weren't there. Probably sleeping. Which means I have to inject myself with a serum. Great. I was never great at patching myself up, so giving myself a shot may just be difficult.

Luckily I knew where the serum was. Doc kept the blue miracle liquid in a cabinet named "Specail Cases". Either it is the Doc's poor humor, or she meant it literally. I couldn't tell, nor did I care. The burns started to increase. I took a single dose out, and looked around for the shot-gun. Heh, shot-gun. Okay, maybe I have a poor excuse for humor. Or I'm just really tired.

When I found the… gun, the doors opened. I looked over and saw that it was Eden. The memory of the nightmare flashed, and I quickly looked away, closing my eyes. I wanted to forget that memory as soon as possible.

"Adrian…?" she mumbled. Someone needs to go back to bed. I didn't answer. Pretended that I didn't hear her. I started fumbling with the gun and vial of serum. I honestly had no idea how to work this thing. Like I said. Medical stuff was not my strong suit.

I started to get frustrated, and tried to jam the vial into the gun. A small, slender, smooth skinned hand stopped me. I looked over and saw Eden. She took the items from my hands, and motioned me to sit. I complied, and she quickly did what I couldn't. Actually get the damned thing to work.

In a quick motion, she applied the serum into my body. My burns slowly fading back to normal. It was a nice relief, and I let out a breath of air. She turned and put everything away.

"_In order to replace a death, there must be death." _

Fuck. This dream stuff needs to stop. I looked over at Eden. Her back was turned towards me, and I got a good look at her. She was wearing a black, very tight, tank top, and a pair of short athletic shorts. I couldn't help but stare. I'm just going to be honest here. Eden has a nice ass. In fact, a nice body. She is just damned attractive. Guess any guy would be lucky to have her. And I'm that lucky guy. So long as I don't screw things up.

"I didn't know you knew your way around the med-bay?" I asked. She turned and looked at me, a small smile on her lips. Damn those lips. Have they always been that attractive. And why haven't I kissed them yet, I'm her unofficial boyfriend damnit!

"I asked Dr. Chakwas to teach me. I wanted to know what to do whenever you had a flare with your burns." I smiled.

"Always looking out for me," I said, looking down at my hands.

"Yeah well, knowing you. The med-bay should be a second home for you." Her tone was teasing. My hands went up, and a smirk played my lips.

"Hey I didn't get shot this time."

"No, but your burns started flaring half way back to the port. Poor Tiffany had to rush to the garage to get you your shot."

"Yeah, but I didn't exactly go to the med-bay." She shrugged.

"Fair enough."

After that we sat silently. I was sitting on the Doc's chair. How she can sit on this chair for so long baffles me. It is the most uncomfortable chair in the whole damned galaxy. As for Eden, she was leaning against the cot next to me.

We just sat, unmoving and not talking. It was slightly awkward, but in the same time it was comfortable in a way. I should be sleeping, but the nightmares keep coming up. So just sitting next to her was comforting in a way. I know she was probably still mad at my outburst when we left Peak 15. And also my disappearance from meetings.

She didn't know it, but I've been busy. Writing everything about what I knew on the Mandalorians. Nalik sent me a message when we got back to the Normandy. Qun'Mazal, the Quarian I meet back at the Port meet up with Nalik. My Salarian friend reported the Qun has been excellent help around his workshop, and also told him about what I said on the Mandalorians. So, I decided to let Nalik in. I've been giving him information on everything. Culture, language, and even schematics. Yep. I've been making my own designs on weapons, vehicles, and armor. And the cool thing about it all is that Nalik is willing to help me. Such a pal he is.

Aside from that, I've been on think mode. It wasn't the first time I had the nightmare tonight. It started the first night after Noveria. I can't wrap my head around, but it must be important.

"In order to replace death, there must be death…" I mumbled.

"What?" I looked up at Eden, and saw that she was looking at me. She looked exhausted. She needs to get some sleep. Yet, she had a curious look on her face. She heard me alright.

"Nothing, just been having weird dreams lately." An excuse no doubt, but it is the best I can come up. She just cocked a brow. She isn't buying it.

"Nightmares again?" She asked. I nodded. "Want to talk about it?" I looked at her for a moment, then away. Rubbing the back of my neck, I tried to come up with something to say, only to come up with nothing.

"I rather not if you don't mind. Not until I figure out what is going in my head." She nodded, then smirked.

"You're not going to go all batshit crazy assassin on me are you?" I smiled, and made a face, crossing my eyes and sticking out my tongue.

"Maybe…" I said, changing my voice to sound like Stitch from Lilo and Stitch. It got her to laugh out loud, and eventually I joined her. We laughed for a bit, my stresses lifting for a moment. It was good to let lose around her. Only time I felt human to be honest. Around everyone else I was my cool, sly, Cajun self. Only saying a few words when spoken to. But with Eden. I was myself. Dorky, cracking jokes and a smile on my face. There are very few people that can actually break down my barriers like that.

After our laughing died down, I noticed her yawning.

"Someone is tired. When is the last time you've had a good night sleep?" I asked. She didn't look at me, and had a guilty look. "Eden…" I said again with a stern tone.

"Since Eden Prime.." she said quietly. That is when it hit me. The Prothean Beacon. That vision burned into her mind. The vision of a dying race. I felt terrible. She didn't look at me, and she just looked at the floor. I stood up and sat next to her, wrapping my hand around hers. She looked at me and I gave her a smile.

"You want to talk about it?" I asked. She hasn't told me anything about her nightmares yet, so this may be good for her. Knowing that she has someone to talk to. She slightly nodded, and took a breath.

"It starts on Mindior…" Is how she started. She told me what happened on the colony. How she witnessed Batarians gun down her father and brother, and then take away her sister and mother. That was when she found out she can use biotics, killing every Batarian that was in her way until she passed out. She said that she will never forget her sisters face when she was taken away. Fear. Just, pure fear. She said she never saw them again. I really hate slavers, no matter the race.

She continued after that. Elysium, and seeing her fellow soldiers being killed. She named off every soldier she knew that was killed that day. And then she started explaining the Prothean Beacon. How she could feel the pain of everyone being killed by an unknown force. The Reapers. Damn them. She said how she physically felt pain every time the vision appeared in her mind.

My heart sank. This is the Shepard you don't see in the games. Not the fearless hero that was able to stand everything. The hero that feels no pain. Total bullshit. Eden, the real Shepard leaning on me. Her head resting on my shoulder. Biotics in a light, cool glow on our skin. Had nightmares every night about every dark time in her life. Having to feel the pain every night. I wanted to take that away. Somehow transfer her pain unto me. I honestly deserved it.

She finished off saying that she would wake in a sweat and bruises. Apparently she kicks in her sleep. Wait, hold up.

"You never kicked me during RnR when we slept," I said. Her eyes widened a little, and her cheeks flushed a little. She brushed some of her black hair over her ear.

"Well… When I'm with you… I feel safe." That surprised me.

"Really?" I asked. She nodded.

"Yes. It wasn't until the first night we fell asleep together. I didn't have any nightmares. I was still a little restless, but I always was before the beacon. I think it was the fact that you've been doing nothing but protecting me. Taking a Warp field on Therum. Taking bullets on Feros. Fighting your fears on Noveria. You've doing a lot for me."

I looked away. Surprised by this a little, but also happy. She really trusted me, and it felt good. Feeling pressure on my shoulder. I noticed she was yawning, and was putting more weight on me. Yeah, someone needs to go to bed.

"Come on. You need to go to bed," I said. I stood up from the cot and offered my hand to help her up. She lifted her arms tiredly.

"Carry me." She said. I chuckled. Here is the Commander of the Normandy, soon to be savior of the Citadel and conquerer of the Collectors. And she is acting like a child asking to be carried to her to room. Good thing I care.

"Alright _Princess. _Let's go." I scooped her up in my arms. She is surprisingly light weight. She rested her head on my chest, and wrapped one arms around my neck and the other was rubbing my chest. That is when she actually noticed.

"Your shirtless."

"You noticed that now?" I said.

"I'm exhausted Adrian." Fair enough. "Put me down."

"Nope."

"Adrian," she said sternly. Her "commander" voice is out now. But I'm not so easily intimidated.

"Sorry, _Princess. _You're stuck with your roguish knight carrying you to bed." She winned.

"Adrian… What if someone sees us? What if Kadian sees us?"

Yeah, about that. Apparently, Kadian was pacing a hole in the hull of the Normandy. They lost contact with us due to the blizzard. So when we got back, he wouldn't leave Eden alone. Some crew members thought it was sweet. Me? I thought it was fucking annoying. Every guy would know what I'm talking about. The second another guy starts _anything _with their girl, they get annoyed. Even if it is just a nice conversation, we get annoyed. Girls, if your guy doesn't care or doesn't get annoyed, he is not worth it. Just saying. I know Kadian is just looking out for the Eden, but my god man, let the woman breath.

"He'll probably want to kick my ass," I said sarcastically.

"So then you should put me down."

"Nope." I walked out the door and into the mess. I don't know what is up with the mess hall, but it always feels a few degrees cooler than any other room. Eden knew it too cause she curled up in my arms.

"Don't worry, I'll be quick. No one will ever notice," I said, trying to be somewhat comforting in this situation. She was the one who wanted me to carry her.

We got to her quarters in no time, which was just a few steps really. Placing her on her bed, exhaustion kicked in. She yawned and stretched, while I covered her with the bed sheets. She clutched my arm, and in her best, tired "commander" voice, ordered me to stay for awhile. I couldn't help but laugh lightly. Stubborn woman.

"Alright Princess," I said, and I leaned back on the head board. She rested her head on my lap, and I couldn't help but play with her hair. I've done it before on the Citadel, and it gets her to sleep in no time.

"Why do you call me that?" she mumbled.

"Well you did want me to carry you."

"That's it?"

"Yeah."

"That's… pretty lame." I smiled.

"Well your stuck with it until further notice." I felt her head nod. I looked down, and noticed that she drifted to sleep. I smiled. It's moments like this that keep me going. If I wasn't with her, or anyone for that matter, I probably would've lost it by now. Or dead. Either two really. She's amazing too. Really. I don't know how she can keep it all together with everything that has happened to her. I need to take notes, that is for sure.

While looking up to the ceiling, the nightmare crept into my mind. The voice saying, well, all that it said. I sighed. I have a lot to think about.

* * *

I got up from Eden's bed, not getting any sleep what so ever. Thankfully Eden slept somewhat peaceful. She did kick me once or twice, but I just held her close and she would drift off again. It was around five in the morning. Eden wouldn't get up until seven, and I wanted at least two hours worth of sleep. Hell, I'll go with an hour. I left a note on her terminal. All it said was that I went to my room early enough so that no one would catch me. She would understand.

I left her room and headed for the crew quarters until I heard a crash coming from the med-bay. Doc's up early? Damn I can't wait until the SR2. There will be a damned window for the med-bay. SR1, I'm luck to just have a door.

I didn't pay any attention, until I heard another crash. The fuck? With curiosity taking over, I headed for the med-bay. That's more than I like in a week, but hey, might as well get use to it. When I got up to the door, there was a shout, causing my assassin to come out. Well, more like defensive older brother. The shout was Tiffany.

During free time, I sort of trained her to contact me for help. That and train myself to recognize her voice whenever she was in distress. She, Eden, Tali did the training. They said it was good to know that there was someone around watching out for them. It is basic training really. It was a trick dad taught me in fact. Being able to pinpoint certain noises and to be able to differ the different tones and pitches in someone's voice. It is a very useful trick.

When I got into the med-bay, my adrenaline started to kick. Tiffany had a barrier up. Yes, she is a biotic. She just doesn't know how to fight with them. And trying to get to her, of all people, was Louis. Tiffany was trying to hold him down with a barrier, but I could see her wavering. She probably just woke up.

In a flash I was right next to Louis, and with all my strength, I practically threw him out of the med-bay. He landed with a hard thud and grunt. Tiffany let down her barrier and looked at me with a surprise look. I don't know if it was the fact that I was there, or if I didn't have a shirt on. I couldn't tell. As for Louis, I got up to him and lifted him up. He was scared that was for sure, but that didn't stop him from kicking my gut. Knocked the wind out of me. Kudos for him.

Too bad it only pissed me off even more. The Turian training came out, and I…well, tackled him out of the med-bay. We had a scuffle, so to speak. He tried to get out of my grasp, while I started throwing punches onto him. I don't know what happened next, but it ended up me standing, my hand wrapped around Louis's throat, and lifting him up. I glared into Louis's eyes.

Tiffany screamed, and I looked to see the barrel of a gun. Kadian.

"Let him go Spade." Seriously. Apparently the scream woke up majority of the crew, and the ground team. Wrex had a smirk, I think. Ash looked pissed and surprised. She is going to love this. She hates Louis. Liara was shocked, as was Tali (I think). And Garrus was shocked but probably impressed? I'm not sure. I didn't let go of Louis.

"He was trying to assault Tiffany." My voice was shaky, clear sign of anger within. Kadian didn't move.

"It looks like the other way around Spade. I see a cadet trying to help a fellow soldier, and an assassin. Shirtless and choking out an Alliance Cadet." I glared, like death glared, Kadian. Some of the soldiers backed a bit.

"Lieutenant-" Tiffany started, only to have a hand interrupt her.

"Not now Smith. I'll get your side after this," Kadian said. Let the woman speak asshole. He focused his attention at me again. "Drop him." I complied, after squeezing a bit. Louis, the coward he is, took off to his buddies coughing for air and clutching his throat. I'll be back for you, bastard.

It was still at this moment. I didn't look at Kadian, but I was pissed. Want to know a major rule when it comes to assassins? Never, under any circumstances, get in an assassin's way. You'll die.

"I need to detain you Spade. The Commander will then decide if we will turn you in finally, or not." I didn't look at him.

"You're treading on hot water Kadian," I said. I heard some whispers coming from those watching. Kadian was unmoving. I glance to my side and saw Tiffany with Tali. I gave a wink and a small smile. I didn't want them to worry.

"Want to know something Alenko?" I asked. He didn't say anything, but that didn't stop me. "Never under estimate a target."

As quickly as I could, I spun and kicked the gun out of Kadian's hand, and using the momentum I had, I spun around again and kicked him away. The Drell was out know. Kadian was surprised, that was for sure. But that didn't stop him from charging at me. I let him grasp me, only to use his weight against him.

I slammed him on the floor, and quickly stood up.

"Stay down Kadian," I said sternly. He got up and headed for me again. Damnit. All I want is two hours, TWO HOURS, of sleep. We started trading blows. I was mostly deflecting, but I would through a punch here and there. He got me a couple of times, once on the nose causing me to bleed. That got a cheer for him. Apparently I'm the bad guy during this match. The ground team was conflicted however. Wrex looked about ready to jump in, but Tali, Garrus, and Liara were making sure he wouldn't. Tiffany was crying actually, and I could pick up her screaming for us to stop. Ashley was holding her, but she was shocked as well. And that is when it happened. A swirl of blue and purple jumping in between us pushing us away.

Eden. Fuuuuuck.

"Enough! Both of you!" She yelled. We both stood off, but I was still tensed up. He was too. "What is going on!?"

"Spade was attacking Louis. I intervened, only to have him attack me!" Kadian was pissed. I really want to kick his ass now. Eden shot me a look, but I held my ground. I wasn't the sweet boyfriend right now. I'm the assassin that will not take shit from anyone right now.

"Well Dawn. What is your story?" She asked. I glared at Kadian, then at Louis. He flinched. I wanted to shoot Louis, but guess ratting him out will be best. For now.

"I heard a scream coming from the med-bay. I checked it out only to find Louis trying to assault Tiffany. She had a barrier up and he wasn't quitting anytime soon. And I wasn't going to sit around and let him have his way with her, so I… intervened."

Eden, and a majority of the crew either gasped and or had a look of shock. Some of the cadet's called me a liar and cursed at me. It was pretty pathetic.

"That is not true. You were chocking him!" Kadian yelled. I snapped.

"Yeah, I was! I don't know about you, but I kill possible rapists!"

"He wasn't going to rape her!"

"And how do you know!? You weren't there! No one was! If not for me, Tiffany would've been raped or worse, dead!" I could feel my anger boiling up to the point of no return. But I held my tongue. I didn't want to say something that will piss everyone off. Eden looked over to Tiffany, who was wreck.

"Tiffany," she said. "Is what Adrian said true? Was Louis attacking you?"

Tiffany didn't answer, she couldn't. She was too chocked up.

"You see Commander. She is traumatized at what happened. At what Spade did. He needs-" And that is when the most glorious moment in my life happened. With her Biotics, Tiffany spun Kadian around and punched him with a fierce uppercut.

"Damn you! Damn you all!" she screamed. This was probably the first time, any of us saw Tiffany this pissed. "Louis attacked me! Adrian was trying to protect me you bastard!"

Kadian, and everyone else in the room, either than myself, were shocked at the revelation. Louis tried to run off, only to be stopped by Garrus and Wrex. I love those guys, seriously. Kadian just held his jaw and looked at Tiffany dumbfounded. Eden walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. That is when Tiffany broke down. She fell to an embrace with Eden and started sobbing into her shoulder. That is when I felt terrible. I wanted to go and comfort Tiffany as well, but I couldn't move. For one, Kadian was right next to them and he might attack again.

Eden looked at everyone. She didn't have to say anything to get her point across. Everyone understood, and left. Kadian went with Doc to check out his injuries. A few Marines, led by Ashley, handcuffed Louis and took him away. Eden, with Tiffany still in her arms, went to her room. She looked at me, and even though she was clearly angry, she nodded and mouth the words 'Thank You' to me. I gave a curt nod, and watched them cross the threshold into Eden's room. When the door closed, I headed for my own room. Doc will want to look me over, but she will have to wait.

I needed a shower, and time alone. There was some things I needed to think about. And some stuff I needed to do. So much for that two hour nap.

* * *

**Well there you have it. **

**And also the fight that was set up a few chapters ago! Woohoo! Just to be honest, the dream sequence was fun to write. Who may the voice be? You will never know! Until later... As for the fight, it was sort of difficult to write. At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted Adrian to win or Kadian( very unlikely to let Kadian win. I do not like him). And the scenario was difficult as well. Eventually, I ended up Adrian protecting Tiffany, only to be seen as the bad guy. And the added Tiffany Punch, was just my way at getting back at Kadian. Like I said. I don't like him, or any other of ME Love interests. **

**Either than that, next chapter will be another side chapter. Just some things Adrian and the gang will be doing. Then, Virmire. Where shit gets real. **

**Hoped ya'll enjoyed this chapter.**

**Keep reading, and stay sexy ;)**

**KD**


	19. Chapter 19

**Greetings Ladies and Gentlemen! And welcome to the next addition of Mass Effect: Spade. Before, we being I have this to say about this chapter: I'm taking another ambitious step. Not as big as Mandalorians ruling he galaxy, but it is out there. Either than that, your just going to have to read and find out what it is.**

**So without further delay. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 19: A Birthday Surprise

Adrian POV

We were heading back to the Citadel. Louis has been charged with the attempt to sexually assault another Alliance soldier. He will be dropped off at the Human Embassy and then shipped back to Earth for trail. Bastard dissevered worse than a simple trail and prison time. I would've fucking killed him. Tiffany was starting to feel better. It's been two days since then. The day it happened and the day after she wouldn't leave Eden's room. I felt terrible about it too, which didn't help my mood for the past two days. From what I was told, Ash and Tali would check on her. I haven't yet, but I promised I would.

And the fight only made matters worse. It pretty much pissed me off. Very few people are able to pull a gun to my head like that. And very few lived to tell about it. I'm not saying I'm going to kill the bastard, but if he somehow ends up dead, I won't miss him. Still, the thought didn't help. He has to work, and has to walk around the Normandy to do his job. Me? I'm not an officer, and didn't have any duties on the Normandy. So, I just stayed in my room. Besides, I've been busy.

I finished writing up everything I've known about the Mandalorian's and some designs that I've actually finished. I've sent it all to Nalik. He told me that he knows people that will help spread word around and start working on the designs I've sent. I'm acutally pretty pumped. Right now, I'm working on a classic. The Basilisk War Droid. There wouldn't be Mandalorians if there wasn't any Basilisks kicking some ass. It will be glorious I tell you!

Aside from that, I've also been working on personal stuff. I have no idea how this entire mission is going to play out. I can't tell the future and I can't tell if I'm going to survive this or not. So, I've been tying up loose ends. Just some old contacts I've worked with, and with some members of the Organization. Thankfully, many of understood or were dead. But that wasn't it. I've been working on a project for Eden. Her birthday is in a day, believe it or not, and I have been working on a surprise for her that will be waiting for her on the Citadel.

"Adrian…?" I jumped at the voice. I need to keep my door closed instead of open from now on. I looked over and saw that it was Tiffany. She was wearing casual clothing. A white dress that went to her calves, and a blue vest. Her hair was tied in a bun. She was ready for some shore leave that was for sure. Hell, I was too. I was wearing jeans, my boots, and a black long sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up. All I needed was my jakcet, and I'll be set.

"Well what a surprise," I started with a grin "Nice to see you out and about Tiff, I was starting to worry." She gave a small smile.

"It's nice to see you too Adrian." I nodded, and went back to my terminal. Closing some windows I didn't want her to see.

"What are you working on?" she asked. Damn she is quiet. She is already over my shoulder looking at my Terminal. "Who is Mars?" she asked. Damnit Tiffany!

"No-nothing… No one. Just an old contact of mine." I gave her the best bullshit smile I can give, and scratched my nose with my thumb.

"You're lying Adrian." Her arms crossed and she started tapping her foot. Damnit again. I sighed.

"Fine…" When I said that she lit up. A smile on her face. Yep, like a little sister coaxing a story out of her older brother. She sat on my desk, while I started typing away a message.

"Mars is an old contact of mine. He is a smuggler. A very _good _smuggler If I may add." She had a questionable look on her face.

"You're not going to do a job on the Citadel are you?" her voice had concern.

"Oh no. I'm done with assassin work. Too much pressure. Plus it is a danger for those I care about it."

"You mean Eden?" She had a teasing voice and a smirk. I actually blushed and she giggled. "I never thought I see you blush Adrian."

"Laugh it up Tiff." She giggled again.

"So, what do you need from this "Mars" person."

"He is actually helping me out with something. For Eden's birthday." It is the most talked subject on the ship. Everyone has been talking about what to get her. Garrus was going to give her some mods for her, now two, Hurrican's. She is keeping mine, and not as a present. Everyone else, well, is struggling.

"Oh? What are you going to get her?" I smiled

"It is a surprise." She frowned and mocked whined.

"Oh come on. Tell me." I kept my smile and leaned back, putting my hands behind my head.

"You'll just have to wait and see when we dock. He already has the gift with him and will meet us." She glared at me for a bit, but couldn't hold it for long. A smile playing on her lips.

Her omnitool went off, and she checked it.

"Joker said that we are about to dock. We should head up to the airlock." I nodded and closed my terminal, and sent a quick message to Mars. Damned Drell better be there, or it is his ass. I got up and put my jacket on, offered my arm to Tiffany, and she happily took it. As we walked to the airlock I got glares from some of the Cadets, and a lot of nods too. Apparently, the ground team, excluding Kadian, has been putting the good word for me.

As we were walking Eden saw us and came up to us. She was wearing her casual clothing as well. Dark brown, knee high leather boots (Which I bought her on the Citadel), Black skinny jeans which shaped her legs perfectly (Don't judge me), a silver shirt and her white leather jacket (Which I both have bought for her).

"Hey guys. Nice to see you out of your room, _Knight._" Knight? What the hell.

"Knight? What the hell is that?" I asked.

"Well, it's your nickname of course! The story of how you saved Tiffany from Louis, and other stories involving damsels is spreading around the ship. And Knight kind of just popped up." Great, another nickname. Well, at least it is better than Spade. I really need to drop that name.

"Let me guess. You and I'm assuming Garrus are spreading said stories?" I asked with a brow up. She snickered.

"Maybe…" She said rolling her eyes. She noticed that Tiffany and I were linked arms and she had a smirk playing on her lips. Oh no.

"Careful Knight. Everyone might think Tiffany is the princess."

"Oh I think the three of us know who the real princess is…" I leaned towards Eden, my lips centimeters away from her ear. "…Princess". My voice was low, cool, and just right to get her to blush and step away. I had a cheeky grin on my face, and Tiffany was in a giggling fit. It was cool having someone else know about us two, and the fact that it was Tiffany made it more enjoyable. I'm sure Eden knew that she knew. She wasn't panicking like she did when Wrex found out.

"Commander," Kaidan. Tiffany and I left Eden and headed for the airlock. We didn't want to be around Kaiden. When we got to the airlock the rest of the gang was there. Everyone nodded and waved at our direction. I heard Ash say something to Joker causing him to grumble. Probably the fact that Tiffany and I are link by arm.

Tiffany let go of my arm and went to Joker, doing the same with him. Although, a lot more genlte than with me.

"Keeping her safe for me Knight," Joker said.

"Oh no… Does everyone know about the new nickname?" I asked. They all snickered and giggled and nodded. "That's just great…" I siad under my breath

"Hey, at least you aren't stuck with Joker. You have the prevliege of two nicknames. Me? Just one. Just _one,_" Joker said, I guess in my defense. He had a point. Knight and Spade were slightly better than Joker.

As we talked for a bit, and everyone teasing me and my new name, we all looked over to see Louis being hauled away by two Marines. We were all quiet when he walked by, and he had a face of regret.

"Be lucky I don't cap your ass you damned _di'kut…" _I mumbled. No one heard except for probably Wrex and Garrus. You know. Heightened senses. Eden and Kaidan followed, and we all headed for the airlock. All the while, I got a message from Mars. The package was here. Sweet. This guy (me) is going to be the best unofficial boyfriend in the galaxy.

As we all headed out, a group of Marines and an Admiral were waiting for us. C-Sec stayed out of the way on this. Alliance business and all. Kaidan sent a glare towards me. He wanted me to be arrest, right here and now. But that wouldn't happen. I was the one who saved Tiffany.

Louis was transferred to the other Marines, and Eden and the Admiral who ever the hell he is, exchanged a few words. While they were talking I looked around for Mars. Where… Ah, there he is.

Standing in the background, behind the Alliance soldiers and officers stood a Drell. He was about my height, and my built. Athletic. Well, all Drell are but that is not the point. He wore the similar outfit Thane wears, only that his is an azure blue with a silver secondary color. He does wear a dark brown trench coat like jakcet, with a matching hat. The hat almost looks like a cowboy hat, or Bane's hat from Star Wars the Clone War. And believe it or not, he is actually Feron's brother. Younger brother to be precise. And they look almost exactly alike, only that his skin tone is more darker than Feron. I waved to him, and he sent a nod back. I strained my eyes, but next to him I can see my present. She almost looks like her.

"Thank you Admiral for your time. And make sure he gets a speedy trail," Eden's voice came to my ears. She had her "commander voice" again. Understandable. The Admiral and a few Marines saluted. Eden, Ash, and the wanna be Elvis saluted back. Seriously, Kaidan's hair, looks like Elvis's. No joke.

When the Marines left, Mars and the present headed for us. Kaidan saw this and flipped.

"Get back! Both of you!" He yelled. Mars and the girl next to him stopped, hands up. I rolled my eyes and walked forward. Everyone was looking at me confused.

"Calm down recluse. No one is going to hurt anyone, alright." He looked at me for a moment, then reluctantly holstered his pistol. I walked up to Mars and he smiled.

"Adrian! My friend!" I jumped a little. I forget how friendly he actually is, but in a way it is refreshing. I responded the same way.

"Mars!" We gave each other a friendly hug and pats on the back.

"Please, no need for nicknames my friend. Right now I'm Vedon." I chuckled.

"Well it is good to see Vedon." I took a moment and looked at the girl standing next to him. I smiled and she smiled back. My god. The resemblance is tremendous. She was slightly smaller than Eden, about a few inches. She was thin like Tiffany. Her hair was a dark blue, and her eyes were a clear, soft green. Not as vibrant as Eden's but still beautiful. She was wearing black boots, blue jeans, a tight white shirt with long sleeves and a black vest.

"You must be the one I've been looking for," I said. My voice was a little shaky. I was nervous. She gave me another bright smile.

"Yes sir. And thank you for sending Mars, or Vedon it seems, to get me from Omega," she said. Her voice was sweet and smooth. I read her file when Vedon made contact. She escaped the Batarian slaver with the help of, and you're not going to believe this, but by Kasumi Goto. Crazy right? Remember her saying that she saved a girl from slavers in ME2? This is the girl. Only in the game it was Elysium. Here, Mindior instead. And yes, she was a prodigy with art. Also, the girl standing in front of me is a biotic like her sister. Nice, although I'm not sure where she stands class wise. She was on Omega, working jobs here and there to make ends meet. Thankfully, a Batarian that helped her and Kasumi was like a father figure to her, so she was taken care of. When I contacted them I found out he was killed not too long ago. Vedon was right on time it seems. She is also twenty-five, loves music and art, and can move like a Drell. Nice. Have to test out the speed in a spar sometime. She loves to fight as well.

"It was a pleasure. Are you ready?" I asked. A faint blush was on her cheeks. She looked over to the group. They were all just watching us. I kept my smile and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry sir, I'm just a little nervous. I am ready… if you'd walk with me." I grinned and nodded.

"Of course. She and I are pretty close." She giggled and looked a Vedon.

"So I've heard" she said with a sly tone. I shot a look at Vedon.

"Really Vedon?" I said annoyed. He shrugged and had a cheeky grin. I just rolled my eyes. Yeah, even though I've never mentioned Vedon, he is somewhat a close friend of mine. And we talk via message from time to time.

"Who is that girl?" I heard Liara ask. Well, that is my queue.

"Come on," I said, offering my hand to her. She smiled and took it. We headed towards the group and I could feel her move closer to me. I chuckled and gave her a reassuring squeeze. When we got to the group I looked at Eden. Her eyes at first were confused, but when she looked at the girl, her eyes started to widen. Everyone else who got the idea did the same, and those who didn't were just confused.

"Eden. Everyone. I like you to meet June. June Veronica Shepard." And let the gasping commence.

Eden POV

"Eden. Everyone. I like you to meet June. June Veronica Shepard." Those words rang when they came out of Adrian's mouth. Everyone around me gasped. The girl in front of me stood there. A smile on her face, a blush on her cheeks, and tears stinging her eyes. I felt tears stinging my eyes as well, and stared at her. She looked just like me, like mom. Dark hair, although it is almost a dark blue. And her eyes were green as well. She took a breath

"Happy birthday Ede," She said. My eyes widened for a second time. Ede. My nickname she gave me when were little. She couldn't say Eden when she was young so she called me Ede, and it stuck.

"June…" I said, which was a mere whisper. My voice was cut by the lump on my throat. Tears started to run down my cheeks. She let out a laugh and tears started flowing down hers. She nodded.

"Oh my god… June!" I closed the distance between us and we embraced. I could hear the others cheer and clap, but I tuned it out. It's my sister. My baby sister, and she is back with me. My god, she is alive! This… This is amazing. The stories we are going to have to share. And on my birthday. Best present ever.

"It is good to see you to Ede," she said into my shoulder. I went back and looked at her, wiping a tear from her cheek. She then looked at Adrian. "Your friend helped me. Told me that I can see you again."

What? Adrian? I looked at him with surprise. He was leaning against the railing with his Drell friend. He had his arms crossed and a grin on his face.

"Adrian… How did you?" was all I can muster to say. He straightened himself and walked towards us. Everyone was watching curiously, but I didn't care.

"When you told me about your family on Mindior, I did some research. I was curious at first, but when I started finding clues I got interested. I made contact with some old friends, got some favors paid, and I was able to find her. I contacted my friend here to get her out of Omega and to bring her here. The fact that it ended up so close to your birthday was by mere chance."

I was shocked. Adrian went out of his way to find my little sister, and succeeded. He found her and brought her to me. It was the nicest, sweetest damned thing anyone has ever done for me. The Alliance never did a search for her, or anyone else for that matter, after the attack. Said it was a lost cause. Yet, Adrian, with the help of some friends, was able to find her in a few days. It was… It was… I can't hold it anymore.

I left June, wrapped my hands around Adrian's neck and brought him down for a kiss. I heard everyone gasp, Wrex saying about time, and Adrian's friend, along with June, cheered. Adrian tensed at the moment, but eventually he gave in and kissed me back. It was an amazing moment for me. I know the secret of us together is no longer a secret, but I can care less. Yes, Kadian and Liara are there, but it doesn't matter. My boyfriend, my official boyfriend, found my sister and brought her back to me.

I pulled back from the kiss and looked at him with a smile.

"Best birthday present ever…" I said with a smile. He smiled and then kissed me again. He obviously doesn't care about everyone else finding out.

* * *

After the reunion, Adrian, June, and I went out. We explored the Citadel together. June was excited. It was her first time here and she was jumping around like a child. Adrian and I just followed her, hand in hand. Adrian's friend took his leave, after I thanked him of course.

Eventually we ended up at a restaurant overlooking the Presidium lake. Adrian didn't mind and was happy to pay for everything. We sat comfortably, and June told me how she got out of the slavers grasps. It was surprising to her how a Batarian and a thief saved her. Guess they aren't all evil as they seem. She told me some stories on Omega, saying how the Batarian treated her like how dad use to. She told me how she loves the arts and music, and how she was a biotic as well.

"Wait, you are a biotic?" I asked. She nodded and flared her hand. I smiled widely.

"I can control it, but I haven't gained the ability to fight with it just yet." She frowned at that and Adrian cleared his throat after he took a sip of his drink.

"I can help you with that June. I now a Drell that is a biotic and she would be more than happy to train you." I looked at him questionably and he chuckled. "Don't worry Princess, its Reina. She trained me in hand-to-hand and always said that she wanted to train someone in biotics. This will be good for both of them."

I looked at him for a while then back at June. She had an excited look on her face. I gave in and allowed it. June and Adrian cheered and high fived. They are becoming quick friends, and it made me happy. She was always defensive when I brought boys with me home when we were little. Seeing how she clearly liked Adrian, made me even happier. I liked him too.

After that little conversation, I started telling her my stories. She was enamored by them. My time in Elysium, on Eden Prime. The Thorian on Feros, and the Rachni on Noveria. All of it. And she laughed when I told her the day Adrian and I first met. And then watched in happiness when I told her about all the things he has done during this mission.

"Wow… That is really heroic. Guess you are knight Adrian," she said with a giggle. Adrian moaned but smiled none the less. That is when he shared some of his own stories. The ones that wouldn't scare June. It was amazing. That is all I'm going to say really.

After our meal we walked some more until we ended up at a park, sitting on a bench. We sat there quietly. Just watching the scene before us. Sky cars flying by, the water flowing, and people just walking by. And then it hit me. What is she going to do? I can't take her with me. Will she have to go back to Omega? I sure as hell hope not. If anything, I can get her an apartment if need be.

"Eden? Are you alright?" Adrian asked. I looked at him then back at June. They both can read me like a book. Damnit.

"I'm… June. What are you going to do while I'm gone?" She didn't answer and looked at Adrian. I looked at him and he cleared his throat.

"I have that covered. I was able to purchase an apartment that is actually next door from my place. And before you say anything, I was able to get her registered in the Citadel database so she is covered with that. I also made her an account and put some credits in it. As for work, which will be in conjunction with her training with Reina, I was able to get her a job with a private investigative service. They're clean, by the books, and they assured me her safety."

"And how can you be sure of that, Adrian?" I asked sternly.

"Because the owner of service is Kadick. The Turian I told you about. The one who trained me. He is former military and special forces in the Turian military. He wouldn't let anyone hurt her."

I thought over it. He really has everything covered. I looked at June and she had a pleading look on her face. I don't want to lose her again… But, the people Adrian knows. Actually knows, are good people. I don't know them all, but from all the stories he told me, I know they can ensure their safety. I sighed.

"Fine." June was about to cheer but I stopped her. "But. If I find out that you were in danger you are out and looking for civilian work." She nodded with a big smile.

"Promise Ede. I won't let you down." I smiled and leaned into Adrian.

"You've thought of everything, haven't you." He shrugged.

"I was an assassin for seven years Eden. This kind of stuff is second nature for me." I chuckled.

"Whatever show off. Still…" I looked at him. "Thank you. For all of this." He smiled and leaned in and kissed me. I still need to get use to these. Not that I'm complaining. June made a complaining noise, causing us to laugh. Adrian looked at her.

"Alright. Let's go see your apartment," He said, and he looked at me and whispered "That way we can have some time alone…" That, sent shivers down my back, and I was excited. June just rolled her eyes, but we got up and headed out. June walked in front of us. As she was walking, a butterfly flew in her direction. She looked at it and smiled, holding out a finger. The butterfly floated for above it, and then landed on her finger. I smiled and looked at Adrian. He was smiling too, and I quickly kissed him on the cheek, causing his smile to widen.

This is by far the best birthday surprise I have ever received.

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**And that's a wrap! So... What do you guys think? **

**This chapter was inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughn's cover of Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing. I can't say how, but the blues rock, and that guitar just got me rolling with Spade. The idea for June was actually going to be another character, not related to Eden, but is found by Adrian and if brought into the group. The idea of having her become Eden's little sis actually came up while I was writing the last chapter. From what I believe and have seen, there aren't that many fics with a sibling to Shepard. Maybe a John and Jane, but either than that not really, at least from what I've seen. If there are any out there, let me know. I could always use a good read.**

**As for it being Eden's birthday. It just fit well with the chapter. I don't know the canon birthdate, if there is one. I don't intend for this date to become her birthdate. Just see it as an unspecified date that so happens to be her birthdate. **

**And with that, I leave you.**

**Keep reading and stay sexy.**

**KD **


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello ladies and gents, and welcome to the next chapter of Mass Effect: Spade.**

**Wow! The feedback I received last chapter was awesome! Thanks a mil everyone! Introducing a new character is always a challenge. You have to have background and at least someway the character fits in with everything. And the fact that people liked June and Vedon was the just awesome. Truly, thanks for the support.**

**Now, back to business. The next few chapters will consist of the infamous chapter in the first ME game. Virmire. Meaning that like with Noveria, Virmire is going to split in a few chapters. This chapter being the first of few for Virmire.**

**Now, without delay. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.**

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Chapter 20: Before the Storm

Eden POV

I was finishing my rounds around the Normandy, getting opinions from everyone on the upcoming mission. We just received a call from the Council. Apparently an Salarian STG group was doing recon on the planet Virmire. They were investigating an operations base that is believed to be Saren's. The only problem is that the STG team stopped checking in. So, we are the reinforcements. Debriefing was short and to the point, and we are all just waiting to get there.

It gives me plenty of time to think to myself, with all that is going on within the Normandy. Everyone knows about Adrian and myself. Some are supportive and others aren't. Kadian was surprised, to say the least. He hasn't talked to me since then, so it is awkward. I only hope that it doesn't affect his ability on the field. And Liara. Well, it is pretty much the same with her.

Aside from that, I recently got in touch with my long lost sister. Adrian did the amazing yet again. He was able to find her, and bring her to me. I can't express the feeling I had when we met. Happiness, shock, a little sadness, but over all just pure joy. And to top it all off, I know she is safe for sure this time. Adrian was able to give her the necessary things she needs while she lives on the Citadel. She has a home, work, and Adrian was able to find her a trainer for her biotic's. She is a fighter, like her big sister. And she stressed that she wants to be able to help me. I objected of course. I didn't want to put my little sister, the only family I have left, in danger. But she was convincing. She lived on Omega for a majority of her life, so she had to learn how to fight. And she said that she wants to be able to protect me when Adrian could not. Eventually, I let her, with the help of Adrian convincing me as well.

June. That girl was just full of surprises while we were there on the Citadel. For someone that lived on Omega, she was so calm and peaceful. And apparently the butterflies took a liking to her. She was able to have a single butterfly on her finger for about four hours while we walked around the Presidium. An Asari who saw this said that she had a very calming, pure spirit. Of course she would, she was always like that. Even when she was little and before the attack. People and animals would just warm up to her. And she was a looker. Just like her big sis. Adrian had to scold and scare a few guys, and girls, from flirting with her. It was sweet, and funny.

During my muse, I heard a voice outside my room. My door was opened, allowing for anyone to come in for orders or to talk if they were the ground crew. The voice belonged to Kadian. He was addressing one of the Cadet's. I stood up and peered out of my room. Kadian was helping the Cadet out with his omnitool.

"That should do it. I recommend checking in with Tali or Dawn just in case. They are pretty handy with Tech."

Wow, that is a first. Kadian recommending someone to Adrian? About tech? Wait. He didn't call Adrian Spade! What the hell is going on!?

The Cadet saluted and left. Kadian then turned and went back to work on his terminal. He caught me in his glance and gave a nod. Time to investigate.

"Kadian," I said. He looked at me.

"Hey Shepard. Need something?" he asked.

"What was that about?"

"Ah that. The Cadet needed some help with his omnitool. Said something about it acting buggy."

"I see… And what was that about not calling Dawn "Spade"." That caught Kadian off a little, but he straightened himself.

"Spade got old. And I'm starting to see him in a different light." I gave him a look to continue. He gave a slight sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. I don't know if it was his amp or if he was nervous.

"I can see he is trying to change himself, and for the better. I just didn't see it until this last visit on the Citadel. He's good people. Right? He's risked his life for you, and this crew for that matter, numerous times. He cares for us in his own way. And to top it all off, he was able to find your sister and bring her back to you. Assassin's don't do that. Do they?" he said looking at me with a questioning look. I smiled, but before I can say anything, a door opened and voices came out. It was Adrian, and the cadet Kadian was speaking with earlier.

"You're algorithms are all off. If you switch this with that, and replace this with this, you'll get an affective Overload charge…" He was helping the Cadet with his omnitool. The Cadet was patient and hooked with every word Adrian was saying. They walked into the elevator, and Adrian continued to help the Cadet.

I looked at Kadian.

"He may be a former assassin, but he is trying to change himself. Maybe you should talk with him yourself. He may just surprise you." Kadian looked at me with a slight look of disbelief.

"You sure about that? I mean, we did have a fight a few days ago." I shrugged.

"Well you did have a gun to his head." He frowned and looked a way for a bit. "Kadian. Adrian is a reasonable guy if you let him. That and he said he never wanted to fight you in the first place. He was just defending himself and Tiffany."

"He said that?"

"Well, maybe a little altered, but yeah. Something like that." He nodded and looked towards the elevator. Probably thinking what to do next. He then looked at the area where the fight was.

"You think I would've won? I mean, I was pretty close. Right?" I made a face.

"Kadian. He was trained by a Drell and a Turian. Both former military." His eyes widened a bit.

"So that is how he was able to do that…" he said lightly. I chuckled, earning a smile from him.

"I'll talk to you later Kadian. Just consider talking with him. I don't like grudges on my ship." He smiled and saluted.

"Aye Commander."

With that I went back to my quarters to finish up some reports. The whole Louis fiasco is still ongoing, and I've been putting off my report. Need to finish it before the mission starts. While I was working, I heard the elevator doors opening and closing. I smiled slightly, and gave a little prayer. Hoping that there wouldn't be another fight.

Adrian POV

"Thank you Knight. I'll leave you to your work." The Cadet then saluted and walked off. I gave my own mock salute and turned to sit on a crate. That was a first time a Cadet either than Tiffany asked for my help. And saluted me for that matter. Ah well, I need to work. I did a quick check on my omnitool. Making sure the programs were updated and ready for use. And also a quick look over my armor. I fixed it up already since Noveria, but a quick system check never hurt anyone. After that, I looked over the datapad I've been working on.

"What you working on?" a female voice asked. I looked up and saw it to be Ashley. I looked back down at the datapad.

"Just a project I'm starting." She walked over and looked over my shoulder.

"Is that a set of armor?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yes ma'am. Three sets to be exact. Two are for June and Eden, and the other is just a side project." It was true. I was working on making some armor for the both of them. Well, more like designing the armor, and then Nalik to build them. They are all based of different existing armor sets. I'm just adding some upgrades and a little Mandalorian flavor. Of course, they will better suit them with their own abilities. Reina gave me an over view of June's ability. To mine, and Eden's amazement, she can Biotic Phase. Like the N7 Slayer and Fury in multiplayer when they are side stepping. It is pretty damned cool. And knowing Reina, June is going to find tremendous potential in her abilities.

"You know Knight, I've been meaning to tell you something." Knight. Still not use to it. And I'm not sure who started that. I narrowed it down to Eden, Garrus, Tali, or Joker. Anyway, I looked up at Ash.

"Uh-oh. Should I be worried?" She laughed lightly and then crossed her arms.

"No. I just wanted to say thank you. For protecting Tiffany when no one was around. And for reuniting Shepard with her little sister. It was sweet and heroic. Like a Knight." She said all this with a smile, and I gaped.

"Wow… Thanks, I guess. I was just trying to help, really." She chuckled at that.

"Well you don't need to try. Tiffany looks up to you as a brother. You're like a hero to her, it's crazy." I smiled at that. Tiffany stayed on the Citadel for leave. Anderson's, Doc's and Eden's orders. I allowed her to stay at my place since she didn't have anywhere to go. Plus it is another set of eyes on June.

"And it is clear that Shepard cares about you. And you bringing her sister back to her? Sealed the deal for her. Don't tell anyone, but I was rooting for you."

"Is that so? Surprised to hear that from you Ash." She shrugged.

Before she could say anything else however, Kadian walked up to is. Oh shit. I really don't want another fight. And to be honest, I don't want to fight Kadian anymore. I may not like the guy, but he is somewhat important.

"Hey, can you give us a minute Ash. I want to talk to Dawn in private." Ash looked at us with concern clearly on her face. Hesitant, she nodded and walked off. I caught her signaling to both Garrus and Wrex to keep an eye on us in case things escalated between us.

For a few moments he stood there in silence. It was awkward. To awkward for me to sit here quietly. I stood up and went to my locker, taking out my armor and working on it. Even though I don't have to. Eventually Kadian cleared his throat and took a breath.

"Dawn. I want to apologize." That stopped me. What?

"Excuse me?" I asked, turning to look at him.

"I want to apologize. For pointing a gun towards you." I nodded but before I can say anything he put a hand up. "And for judging you this entire time. It was uncalled for, and because of it I didn't see who you really are. I may not trust you completely, yet, but I know that you are good. Or at least you are trying to. And I'm sorry I didn't realize it before."

Okay. So being shocked once, I can handle. Being shocked twice? Not so much. I can handle it, to a point. I just looked at him. Trying to figure out what possessed him to say this.

"Did Eden put you up to this?" I asked. He nodded.

"For the most part, yes. But it was something that needed to be done and said." I nodded. I'll have to talk to Eden about this. I looked at him for a bit, then gave a polite smile.

"Alright, I'll go with that. But next time, just get me a bottle of whiskey and we'll call it even."

He smiled at that and nodded. I put my hand out to offer a shake, and he took. Glad to have that behind us. And now that I think about it, this may be the last time I will talk with him. Or, see him. We are heading to Virmire. Where shit hits the fan and gets real. This may be the last time with Ash too. Damn. One of them may die on this mission. It sucks. It really does. I may have not liked either of them, but after a while, they grow on you. Yeah, Kadian and I hated each other for the most part. But still. That is a life that may just end after this. Same with Ash. So this. Clearing the air between us. It is for the better.

He let go of my hand, and I went back to my armor. Has the scratch always been there? Damnit. Note to self. Always double check armor. Kadian stayed there for awhile, and tried to start a conversation. Guess he is trying to clear the air too. He may be having those feelings. The one you get when you know something is going to happen.

"So… Drell and Turian training, huh?" He started. I chuckled.

"Eden tell you that?"

"Mentioned more than tell. Explains a lot of those moves at the fight." I smiled. Reina would've been proud that I remember those moves.

"Be honest with me. I was close right? Like, we were pretty evenly matched," he said. I stood up straight and looked at him. He wasn't really, but yet again, he wasn't using biotics. Even if he is an L2.

"If you used biotics on me. You would've beating me easily." He put a hand on his chin.

"Biotics? Is that some sort of weakness you have?" Really Kadian? You have not been paying attention at all haven't you. I rolled up my jacket sleeve and showed him my burning.

"Biotic Burning. Caused by Warp fields. Amplifies when I'm hit with biotics that are meant for harm. If you would've hit me with a biotic power, I would've been dropped."

"Really? I didn't realize. Is that why you are always in med-bay?"

"Partly. I would also go and talk with Doc or Tiffany to pass time."

"I see. Well if we end up fighting side by side, I'll make sure you aren't hit with any biotics. Shepard wouldn't let me live it down." I chuckled.

"Probably not. Hell, she probably wouldn't let anyone live it down." This time he chuckled lightly. He looked away for a bit, probably thinking of something else to ask. Worst interrogation ever.

"How long have you and the Commander... Well, you know." I raised a brow at the question and looked at him. Is he seriously asking me that. By the look on his face, he was. I let out a breath.

"Unofficially. Since our first RnR on the Citadel. Officially. This last shore leave." This is SO awkward, it hurts.

"That long, huh. Explains a few things."

"Oh?" He nodded at that.

"Like how she always takes you on missions. She always sits next to you during meal time. She always goes to you last during her rounds and spends more time with you. And, oh yeah, how you carried her to her quarters one night." Okay. That is creepy.

"Are you stalking me Lt.?" I asked, and no, I'm not joking. He didn't know that, however, and laughed a bit.

"No, but a few crew members have. They told me over time." I sighed and rubbed the back of my head.

"Well, my personal space feels slightly smaller now." He laughed a little at that. He looked away for a bit, then back at me.

"This was nice. Hopefully we can get all this behind us and start moving forward."

"Agreed." I really don't want to push this conversation any further. Not because I hate him or anything. I don't to be honest. It is just so damn awkward.

He nodded and started heading out till he looked at my armor. He was eyeing, probably impressed. Till his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Is that a dress? On your armor?" Oh for the love of god.

"I told you it was a dress!" That was Ashley, yelling from her post.

"Stow it Ash!"

"If it helps, it does had some style to your armor!" Garrus.

"Seriously Garrus!?"

"Hey I actually like it. Enemies will learn to run in fear when they see that dress." Wrex.

"Oh for the love of… You know what. Ya'll are just jealous of my awesome armor," I said.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," said Wrex.

"Shut up Wrex…" He did his famous chuckle and adjusted his seating. I sighed and went back to work on my designs. Kadian nodded and I sent a nod back. As he was walking the intercom went off.

"_Attention!" _That was Eden's voice. And she sounds serious. "_We made it to Virmire. I want all of the ground team down at engineering getting prepped for drop. Five minutes." _

With that, everyone went to work. Putting on armor, loading clips, and prepping shields. Tali and Liara showed up a little latter, but they quickly went into action. Tali was always the first one finished, even when she was late. Eden made it down, her armor already on, and her weapons ready. We all stood at attention when she started addressing us.

"We all know the plan. Tali, Alenko, and Knight are coming with me." There is that nickname again. "We will drop down on the Mako and try to make contact with the STG team. Everyone else will be support until further notice."

"_Commander," _Joker.

"What is it Joker?"

"_Scans pick up Anti-Air guns. You're going to have to take them down before I can land the Normandy for anything."_

_"_Got it Joker. Alright, let's move. Knight I want you on the gun." Seriously? Sweet! This is going to be my first time on the gun, and man let me tell ya. Excitement

"Got it Princess." That earned a few chuckles and a glare from Eden. You started it, I think.

"Alenko, you'll be spotter. Tali, once we hit ground, I need you to try to tap into the enemies communications."

"Got it Commander," they said in unison.

We all entered the Mako and got ready. Sitting on the gunner seat gave me a slight chill. This is going to be fun.

"_Get ready for drop" _Joker's voice came in from the Mako. The hatch opened and I could see the Virmire sky. The Mako lurched forward and in a few seconds we started plummeting to the ground. Here we go.

"Into the storm," Kadian said.

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**And that's a wrap!**

**Well, it looks like Kadian is starting to see Adrian in a different light. How will it change things for Adrian in his mission? And the main question is: Who will survive? Ashley or Kadian? Plus, there are other questions to consider. What does Liara think about Eden and Adrian? How will June affect the Mass Effect world? What is the voice in Adrian's nightmares? Is the ME timeline in danger of being changed? And why haven't I left to get my sandwich from the deli?**

**All these questions will be answered soon. You... just have to wait.**

**Either than that, thanks again for all the feedback and support I've received through out Spade. It has been helpful.**

**Keep Reading and Stay Sexy**

**KD**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello Ladies and Gents, and welcome to the next Chapter of Mass Effect: Spade. **

**I would've posted earlier this week, but with Final's and Doctor's appointments, I was sort of busy. Anyway, it didn't stop me from posting one more chapter. Not much to say for A/N but to say:**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 21: Into the Storm

Adrian POV

"Just die already!" I yelled. We were just coming up the first Anti-Air installment. I've never paid attention to this part of the game, so whether or not something is canon, I wouldn't be able to tell. Anyway. As we speak, we are taking on two Armature's, and a few rocket troops. Joy.

I fired the main canon again when my shot was lined. The spider like tank exploded with an array of sparks and smoke. It was a fantastic sight to see. One down, one to go.

"Hang on!" Eden yelled. Next thing I knew, my stomach lurched. She hit the thrusters of the Mako, and we flew up in the air. Probably jumping over another barrage of rockets. At least they aren't guided missiles. That would suck. We landed with a hard thud, but I didn't let it get to me. Without skipping a beat, I fired a barrage of bullets into the mass of Rocket Troopers. Seeing the white synthetic blood, and the synthetic flesh flying all over the place, I knew my work was complete.

All that was left was that damned Armature. It fired another electrically pulse. A bit too soon for Eden, cause the pulse crashed into the Mako. Right into my position too. If not for the shields, I would've been electrocuted. And that is not a way I want to go down. Seeing my new form of revenge, I turned the gun and started firing the canon. The gun whirled and the bullets shot out with the purpose of taking down that damned machine. I followed up with the main canon, the fire from the explosion catching some of the flora on the rocks. The Armature stumbled, and with another shot from the main canon, the Armature suffered the same fate as its counterpart.

"Armature down! Man I love this gun!" I shouted. I was being honest.

"Good work Dawn. Moving out," Kadian said. Yeah he was with us, along with Tali. I don't mind it, as long as he behaves. Yeah he apologized, somewhat, to me earlier. But sometimes words ring hollow, and that apology could only be a way to warm up to Eden. She did put him up to it.

"Radar's are down!" Tali shouted. We are all here Tali. "We must being getting closer to the first Anti-Air gun!"

I looked out my with the sight of the gun, and sure enough there was a small complex with a gate. As we got closer, I saw Geth units dashing to and fro (never thought I would say that), getting into cover and firing at the Mako. Seeing that, I acted and started firing. I took down a few troopers as we got closer.

"Adrian! Stay with the gun and provide us cover!" Eden ordered.

"You got it!" is what I responded. The Mako came to a stop, and the three took off. I fired at the Geth on the top floor. A few rockets sped past the Mako. My heart skipped a beat at that. I do not want to have this as my grave.

"Eden! Take down those Rocket Troopers or else we lose the Mako!"

I didn't get a response in words, but seeing a array of Biotic's and Tech working in front of my position answered. I grinned as the moved up to the second floor and into the room where the AA gun controls would be. Calming myself, I kept a wary eye at the area. Can't have Geth getting the drop on us.

My radar clicked, and I looked down to see that it was back online. That takes care of the jammer.

"AA gun down. Moving to the next," Eden said.

If memory serves well, I believe there are three in total. Which mean two more till we reach the STG base. Well, more like outpost. You know what I mean.

The gate opened, revealing the next area we will have to traverse. And also, I could see the ocean. I missed the ocean back at home. Home.

Eden and the others were in the Mako and we took off. As we were driving, I looked out to the ocean at my side.

"Look at that ocean. Reminds me a bit about home," I said. Apparently the others heard me.

"Where are you from?" asked Kadian.

"New Orleans. Born and raised."

"Really? Never been there but I heard it is a beautiful, yet wild, city." I smirked. Wild. Yeah. Beautiful. Hell yeah.

"Beautiful is an understatement. The city is gorgeous, and the ocean adds to the beauty." I looked at the ocean for a few moments until I went back to the gun controls. "It would be close to eight years since I've been gone."

"Maybe when this is all over you can visit," Tali chimed in. I smiled.

"Yeah… I just might." Thinking of home. Something I haven't done in a while. I really did miss it. Don't get me wrong, I really do miss my old life. Yeah it was boring and all, but it was normal. I didn't have to worry about mercs coming into my room wanting to kill me. I didn't have the god damn nightmares. I didn't have to worry for my girlfriends life every damn second. So yeah, I do miss my normal life.

My apartment. My group friends, helping kids who lost the parents that were killed in the line of duty. And my PETA supportive, gun control, bitch of an ex girlfriend. I missed it all. But, I do feel stronger. I am grateful for the few good things I've experienced during my time here. Of course there wasn't much good than there was bad, but still. I got to see new worlds, new species that could possibly be out there in my own universe. Meet the heroes of the MEverse, and even befriend a few. And, as sappy as it sounds, met an amazing woman.

"We are coming up on the next gate," Tali stated, interrupting my muse. I was surprised, to say the least, and I looked out from the gun. Damn, we are here. Maybe Eden found a shortcut? Can't say for sure. Like I'm complaining. Less stress for me.

"Incoming rockets!" And the stress just came back on. Firing the gun at our enemies, Eden and the other two did the same routine. I sighed. Yeah, I was bored. Doing the same thing over and over tends to do that. The more I thought about, the more I grimaced. This may just be a long drive.

_Later on_

"Thank god!" I yelled. The drive here was hell after we disabled the second AA gun. Armatures and Colossus mechs, along with Rocket troopers, started raining fire on us. And there were a few close calls that I wish to never experience again during my time in ME. Let's just say that I would hate to have the Mako be a casket.

"What's the matter Knight? I thought you'd enjoy the time in the Mako," Tali said, amusement clearly in her voice. I flashed her an annoyed look. Helmet was off, which means they could see my face. Before I could say anything though, Eden voiced in.

"I thought it was a wild ride myself," she said, with a shrug and a smile. I shook my head.

"I rather keep my feet on the ground from now on. Yeah, it was fun, but only for a once in a life time occasion."

As we talked about the Mako, I looked over at the area. The Normandy was "parked" at the edge of the beach. The cargo door opened. A few Marines came over and moved the Mako on our behalf. Also, it seems that the Marines, and Salarians, were preparing for something. Almost like for war.

In a way it was going to happen. The base is coming up, and we defiantly do not have enough troops to take on the base. With Geth, indoctrinated Salarian troopers, and raging Krogan, this battle may just be our toughest yet.

And speaking of Krogan, there was another thing hovering in my mind that caused me to worry. Wrex. In all fairness, I side with him. The Krogan didn't deserve to have the curse that they have now. They deserve the cure for the genophage, and hell of deserve a second chance. Of course, I don't want Saren to be the one to cure them. He would just use them as cannon fodder. And that will not sit well with Wrex.

As we walked up to the base, I saw Ash speaking with Kirrahe and a few other Salarian troopers. This is when I took my leave and walked around the base. It looked just like the game. Small, not enough supplies, and a lot of Salarians walking around getting ready for the near future battle. I found Garrus and decided to stand next to him.

"Heard the ride here was a tad bit bumpy," he said, watching some of the troops moving around some crates. I shook my head.

"Bumpy is one way to describe it. Almost had to call the Mako a casket a few moments there."

Garrus chuckled at that. We fell silent for a few moments. I saw Eden, Kadian, and Ash speaking with the Salarian captain. Here we go.

"The Salarian are pretty resourceful," Garrus said. Although I was more focused with Wrex getting antsy. Still, doesn't mean I can ignore my Turian friend.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"The STG team has been here to close to a month now, with few supplies, few men, and constant danger from the start."

I cocked a brow at that. Yeah, the STG are damned resourceful when it calls for it, but either than that, they talk too much. And that is the only thing they are good at. Aside from Nalik, Mordin, and I guess Kirrahe, I really do not like the Salarians. Their voices are annoying as hell. So annoying that I've actually killed a few because of it. That, and they constantly complain. Even when held hostage. I had to take out a Salarian ambassador that was sending funds to Eclipse mercs, and eventually stopped paying. I had to interrogate him for some information that Eclipse could use. The entire time he complained that the area I held him was "to dull" for an interrogation. Then he starts to school me. Moral of the story, I killed him and I have little patience for Salarians. Exceptions being Nalik and Mordin.

"We are not a mistake!" Oh shit. That was Wrex. Garrus and I looked over and saw him walking off from Eden and her group. Moment of truth. Eden, Ash, and Kadian talked amongst themselves. Time to intervene. Timeline, you can sue me later.

"I'll be back Garrus," I said, and I headed towards Wrex. I saw Eden heading towards him. That is when the gunshots rang out. I expected it, but wasn't really ready for it. Wrex started his "target practice", earning looks from everyone. And I mean EVERYONE. Note to the world, Claymore shotguns are fucking loud. Loud enough that I'm sure the Reapers may have heard it from dark space.

Unfortunately due to me stopping, Eden got to him first. And the argument proceeded, causing a thin crowd of skinny ass Salarians to get in my way. Pushing and shoving through the crowd, I could hear both Wrex and Eden's voices. Wrex sounded pissed, and it seemed that Eden was not getting through to him. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

And, to make matters worse, I caught a glimpse of both Ash and Kadian moving in, pistols at the ready. Wrex had no clue either. Alright, that's it! I booked it, and pushed STG soldiers out of my way. Some cursed and scolded but I could give a pyjak's ass. As I was getting through the crowd I saw both Wrex and Eden pull guns at each other. Fuck!

"I don't know who to trust. And from what I can see, the line between friend and foe is starting to thin," Wrex said. Honestly, it is my favorite line, but at this moment I started freaking out. Wrex is like a close friend, and Eden, well if you haven't figured it out, is my girlfriend. A part of me wanted to defend my friend, but the other wanted to defend Eden as well. And I don't do well with conflicting emotions! Aw fuck it! Gonna have to roll with it.

I leaped and landed in between the two. And to what will become probably the bravest and stupidest thing I've ever done thus far, I put my hands up in front of them both in a "I surrender" type manner. Seeing me in front of them caused them both to lower their weapons.

"Adrian…" Eden whispered. Shock was clear in her voice. I couldn't look at her face.

"Get out of the way Dawn. This does not concern you," Wrex said, his voice hell of intimidating. But I can't let that stop me. I looked at him.

"The hell it does! You two are damn bout to kill each other!" I yelled. I took of my helmet and looked at Wrex in the eyes.

"Look Wrex, I agree with you. The Genophage has to be cured, but it can't be like this."

"And why not! The Krogan have suffered enough!" He is pissed. It is a touchy subject.

"I know they have! What the Salarians and Turians did is unforgivable and they should pay for it, but not like this! Think Wrex. Think for a minute what Saren is really trying to do. You think he is just going to give your people the cure and then go on his way? No, he won't."

Wrex just looked at me, Claymore still in his hands. I could feel my heartbeat within my head, and my burns were starting to slower flare. I didn't know at the time, but Tali later on told me that my burns started to form on my neck, causing her, Garrus, Liara, Eden and hell even Kadian, Ash and Wrex to worry. But I didn't let that stop me. I'm trying to save a life here.

"If you let Saren win, and cure this curse, then you will give him what he wants. He doesn't want to free your people Wrex, he wants to control them. And the only way he can achieve that is by giving you the one thing your people need."

That got Wrex to thinking, I could tell. His eyes stopped looking at me and his eyes started darting. Almost there.

"Remember what I said Wrex, about what I want to start. I said that it was a lost cause, but you were the one who believed that I could. And I will honor that by trying to help you and your people, but only if you let me."

That was it, that was all I had. Sure I could say more, but that would be nothing more than air. Hollow words really. Hopefully, I said enough. Feeling my burns worsen, I instinctively started holding my breath, trying to dull the pain away. I then put my hand up in front of Wrex for him to shake. He looked at it, then at me. For a few short moments, I thought he was going to shoot me. But instead he nodded, holstered his shotgun, and shook my hand. I let out a breath.

"Alright little varren, I'll trust you in this." He looked at Eden. "And sorry for pulling a gun at you Shepard. Just happened in the moment." Eden, too, holstered her own weapon and moved beside me. I could feel her hand brush past mine. The cool feeling washing over my burns. Only for a few short moments of course.

"Yeah… no problem. Will you still fight with us?" she asked him. He gave a curt nod.

"Dawn is right. I let my passion for my people blind my better judgment. Saren wants to control us, but I won't let that happen. I'll fight by you and Dawn's side till the end."

They shook hands, and Wrex left, growling at any Salarian that was in his way. Glad to have him back.

That was when I felt the sharp pinch of a needle in my arm.

"GAH! What the- Oh… Damn that feels nice." Liara, you little ninja. She was able to sneak up on me and inject does of serum into my body. It was as refreshing as jumping in the creek on a hot summer day. Add a beer or two, and Eden in a bikini and I would be in heaven. Huh? Eden in a bikini?

Focus Dawn!

"That was a close one. Good work Knight," Ash said as she and Kadian walked up to us. "You really have a word with words. Wrex seem to really believe everything you said." Really Ash? That, in a way, made me angry. I know I was an assassin, but I honor my word. I WILL help Wrex and his people. They deserved that much. I just simply started to walk away.

"I wasn't lying," I said, as cool and smooth as I could. Which, of course, come naturally to me.

I felt stares, but I kept walking. I may come off as an asshole, but I have my reasons. And I only become like that when people piss me off. Eden, and I guess Garrus too, know that better than anyone. They both figured it out on the Citadel. When Eden and I-

"Adrian!" Hmm? I turned and saw Eden catching up to me. When she was mere inches away from me she gave me a quick kiss. Sure as hell caught me off guard.

"Why do you always do that?" she said.

"Do what?"

"Jump in when I'm in trouble. Always jump in front of the gun when it is pointed at me and shooting at me. Why do you always do that?" She was annoyed. Understandable. She IS the commander after all. Her duty is to be there for her squad. But MY duty, is to protect her, relationship or not. It was what the Organization tasked me with. Course, I couldn't tell her that.

"I'd be a bad boyfriend if I didn't," I said. She shook her head. Not a good answer I guess.

"You have been taking hits for me _before _we got to together. So I need a better reason."

_Where there is death, there will always be death. You will fail, if the normal choices are made._

I winced. That damn voice again from my nightmares. I looked at Eden, and her green eyes stared into my smoke grey eyes. She really wanted a reason, eh? I can't tell her the whole truth, but I can give her my reason. My reason to fight.

"Eden, I've lost everything I had known and loved over the past seven years. And for once, I don't want to lose something like that again. I can't go through it again. You are my reason why, and as much as you hate it, I will always take a bullet or two for you."

She looked at me with a surprise look. She was searching for the words. Something to say. But A Salarian came up.

"Commander, the Captain will like to see. He wishes to start formulating a plan before we start."

"I will be right there," she said and she looked at me. "We'll talk later, deal?" I nodded, and placed my helmet on my head.

"Deal."

As she walked away, I looked at off at the horizon. The next few hours are going to be like hell. Like running into a hurricane.

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**And that's a wrap. **

**Hope ya'll enjoyed it. Next chapter will be more action oriented, since it is a pretty action packed scene. **

**And Wrex lives! Woohoo! Honestly, I saved him in every playthrough I have. Wrex is just pure bamf, that he deserves to live. Wreav can suck my quad! As a Krogan would say. **

**That aside, more to come: The intense Virmire attack will begin soon, but questions still linger. Are Adrian's burns getting worse? How will it affect him in missions to come? And what is this voice Adrian keeps hearing? All this and more! In future chapters to come.**

**So stay tuned, and stay sexy.**

**KD**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello ladies and Gentlemen! And welcome to Mass Effect: Spade! **

**First off: I'm sorry that it took SOOO long to update Spade. A lot has been going on and for me, life comes first. Always. Alas, I am pleased to get back in the swing of things for Spade and I'm glad to be posting for this Fic. **

**This chapter will be the conclusion chapter of the Virmire arc so expect some death and plenty of injuries. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 22: Eye of the Strom

Adrian POV

"Run this through with me again. Why do I have to be alone?" I asked.

"_Simple. You're an ex assassin and your skills in infiltration are better than most of us_," Eden replied through commlink.

"And why aren't any of the Salarian's doing this?"

"_They need all of their men together for this final push. And if it helps, Ashley is with them, and she doesn't have backup."_

"Yeah, well she isn't on top of a cliff, by herself, with nothing but two pistols and a sniper rifle. And she does to have backup. They are just really small."

This was the fifth time Eden and I had this discussion. During battle preparation, the Salarian's told us that Saren had installed some kind of long range disruptor. Meaning that we are on our own until that disruptor is dropped. Plus, when it is down, we can call for reinforcements. How it got to me being the infiltrator, I have no idea. How it managed to be me, alone, is another mystery. And, just to make matters worse, I'm on a cliff. If I fall down right now, it is over. Yeah, not the best mission I've had to do.

Alas, it is the least of my problems. I have to worry about things to come when everyone storms the base. One, aside from the Geth, there are probably two platoons of angry Krogan ready to kill us. Two, Saren is here, as is expected. Or if this was South Park, 'As is tradition'. And three, one of us is not coming back. Ashley and Kadian in the game may be options, but this isn't the game anymore. Any one of us could kick the bucket. And that didn't sit well with me.

"_Knight. What is your current position?" _That was Kirrahe. Let me say just one thing. His speech, was fucking amazing. If only you'd been there.

I looked around, checking my area. Not much but jungle and cliffs. However, looking down I could see Eden's group. It mainly consisted of the squad, minus me, Ashley and Kadian. He was prepping the bomb. In the Normandy. A nuke. In the Normandy. Need I say more?

"I'm above the Shadow Team. Moving to base now. I'll provide sniper cover when possible."

That was my idea. Being on a cliff, higher ground, is golden for snipers. Plus, the cliff runs in between the two routes. So I can add cover for both, which may spare a few lives.

As I was moving through the brush, I would occasionally peer over the cliff. As of right now, I could only see Eden's group. So far, they were making good progress. Until my HUD blipped. I honestly hated it when that happens. Checking it over, it read that there was a small group of electrical signatures coming towards them. Geth.

"Eden. You have Geth moving to your position. Small, probably a patrol unit."

"_Copy that. We can handle it. Move up and see if you can assist Ashley's group," _Eden responded.

"Understood." Even though I'm not military, Eden is still my commanding officer. So I have to follow orders.

Once the bullets started flying, all hell broke loose. On both sides, Geth were attacking. Ashley and Kirrahe had it worst though. Since they were pretty much the distraction force, they were taking the brunt of the attack. Thankfully, a small detachment of Marines joined up with them. Anything to bolster the force.

For me, it was hectic. It took about five minutes of running until I can get a decent shot to cover Ash's group. In postion, and a Mantis rifle I "borrowed" from the Salarian's. I went to work. Picking off mainly rocket troopers, or Pyro's. Anything to lighten the resistance for them. It wasn't really smart, seeing that I needed to get to the base pronto.

"_Knight. We are good down here, make way to the base and shut down that disruptor!" _That was Ashley. For the first time in my career, I hesitated. I don't know if it was the knowledge that she could die today, or the fact that I was leaving a friend behind.

"You sure? I could offer more sniper coverage," I interjected.

"_Yes I'm sure! With that disruptor up we can't receive any reinforcements if things go south."_

Shit. I hate to do it, but I listened.I left. Time was of the essence now. Running through the jungle, which was surprising since I was on a cliff, I would pick chatter through my comm. So far, Eden disabled the Geth communications, which means she is moving up on the base. And, she is doing those extra steps to keep Kirrahe alive.

Although everyone was fighting, my trip was way too easy. Which is good sense I was the infiltration team. However, as I moved, I saw a squad of Geth Drones fly by, making me hit the deck. Fuck, I hate those things.

"Eden! I saw some Geth Drones coming from your side. There may be a depot or something that is fueling them. Getting rid of them will make mine, and I'm sure Kirrahe's job a whole lot easier."

"_Copy that!" _She responded. I could hear the sound of battle coming through her end of the comm. It worried me, but knowing that she has people with her that we both trust made it a little easier.

I kept moving. By now, both teams have probably hit the entrance of the base. Or at least the cat walks. Through the comm I heard the drones stopped showing up. Which means Eden managed to destroy the fuel station. Man I'm glad I remembered that.

As I kept moving forward, Manits rifle at the ready, I found a catwalk. To my pleasure, it lead straight to the base. What surprised me was the fact that it was above Eden's position. These aren't just catwalks. They are sniper nests. Great, that probably means I'll be running into Geth soon.

Switching to my pistols, I took off. I didn't want to waste anymore time. However, I soon ran into Geth. Thankfully, they didn't expect me to be coming. With a battle cry, I charged into the first Geth Sniper, pushing it over the railing. The second Geth reacted, however, being a sniper it didn't have a chance up close. It fired but missed, and I responded with a quick shot from my pistol.

Textbook.

Moving head I finally made it to the base. On my right, I could see Eden's group moving into the base as well. She looked up at me, and sent a wave. Pistol in hand, I gave another one of my 'Han Solo' salutes.

Coming up to a door, I took a couple of breaths. This is where the fun begins. Punching the controls, the door opened and with pistols aimed I moved in. So far no resistance, but the clear sign of battle going on outside, and now inside, was evident.

For everyone, it was hectic and loud, but for me? It was quiet and downright spooky. It unnerved me. I expected more than two snipers, but this? Not a soul in sight. Made my job easier of course, but it just didn't feel right. Something in my gut was screaming at me. Screaming that something was wrong. I had to break the silence.

"This is Knight. I'm in the base and now moving to find the disruptor controls," I said. I had to. The silence was too much. However, to my dismay, no one responded. Shit just got real. And not in a fun way.

Keep it together Dawn. Keep it together. You just need to find the controls, disable the disruptor, and get back to Eden. Easier said than done. Whatever. I just need to keep moving.

As silent as I can be, I moved down the halls of the base. Occasionally I would hear the sound of people moving around and the clicks of Geth, but I made it a point not to get noticed. If I'm caught, it is over. This is why I rather have backup instead of doing this alone.

"It be easy they said… You're more experienced they said…" I sighed. "Eden and I are going to have to talk after all this…"

As I was sneaking around the facility, I could hear the signs of battle going on. Honestly, I cannot tell where Eden is at this point. Probably finding some indoctrinated Salarians, or she is walking through the testing facility with all the Krogan. I'm not sure.

All I know is that I need to be careful. One slip up and I'm screwed. For once, I wish I had the tactical cloak still with me. Walking through the halls, I would occasionally take cover when a patrol or troopers ran by. You have no idea how much I wanted to actually shoot something right now. But, if I do that than there will be no way for me to get to disable the disruptor. Something I can't allow to happen.

Eventually, I found a hall that lead to a single door. And is being guarded by two hulking Krogan. From experience alone, I know I can take on one, but two? No, I'll end up dead and burnt to a crisp when the nuke goes off. No, what I need is a diversion. I hefted the Mantis rifle I took. I don't think the Salarian's will miss this too much.

Stupid plan, yes? Does it work against Krogan who are famous for NOT being so smart? Fuck yeah. With a grunt I threw the Mantis rifle down the other hall. The bangs that followed caused the Krogan to look out. I ducked behind a few crates as the two Krogan walked down the hall to see what was going on. As quietly as I could, I headed to the door. It was locked, but nothing a quick hack can't fix.

The door opened and closed, and I made sure to lock it with my own security measure. I looked around, and sure enough, I was in the control room. And it was empty. Double bonus! I went to work. Messing with everything that I could get my hands on. This was the main control room, meaning that everything was connected in this room. Fuck yeah!

Messing with the controls, I found the keys for the disruptor. I cracked my knuckles and went to work.

Eden POV

My head was spinning. One, being hit by another beacon was not part of the plan. And two. I just had the pleasure of discovering that Sovereign is, in fact, a Reaper. And it plans on having all the Reapers come from dark space and wipe everything out. Well not when I'm still kicking.

Right now, we are moving to the area to set the nuke. So far things were going smoothly, minus a few bumps. Kirrahe and Ash ran into a few more Geth than anticipated, and lost a few men along the way. But, they were making progress. And as for Adrian, we haven't heard from him in awhile. I was started to get worried.

"_This is Knight. The disruptor is down. I repeat, the disruptor is down. Joker, know is the time to make that call."_

I let out a sigh of relief. Thank god he is alive.

"It's good to hear your voice Knight," I said.

"_Likewise Commander. I'm going to finish up here and move to Ashley's position to give- Oh shit!"_

He was cut off, and I could hear was the sound of curses, screaming, and gunfire. My heart started pound on my chest.

"Adrian? Adrian!? What's going on!?" I yelled. Please don't let this happen now. Not now. Not when we are close to finishing this mission.

Garrus looked at me, his mandibles twitching. He heard the transmission, and I could tell that he was ready to go and get Adrian out of there.

"Commander, Wrex and I can move and get him out of there. We can then move to Ashley's position as planned," he said. I didn't know what to say. The fact that I just heard Adrian's last words, plus the information running through my head, caused me to lose focus at that moment.

"We can't do that Garrus," Liara cut in. "There is a chance that he is dead, and we can't risk losing anyone else. We have to keep moving." Hearing her say something like stunned me. Leave Adrian behind? How could she, no, how dare her say something like that. For once, I wanted to slap the blue Asari.

"As right as you are Liara, Turian's don't leave comrades behind, especially when there is a chance that they are still alive. And I'm sure Adrian is still alive," Garrus shot back. Wrex took a step forward.

"That also qualifies for Krogan. Besides, Adrian is part of this Krant and has been through plenty of battles with us. It would be wrong to just leave him," Wrex said. Liara looked shocked. I was too, but at different reasons. A Turian and a Krogan agreeing on something? Never would of thought I see that in my lifetime.

"_Ed… Com…" _My com started to go off. Garrus heard it too through his own and we both tried to focus on it. It sounded like Adrian.

"Adrian? Is that you?" Garrus asked.

"_Yeah… Got pinn… I'm okay for… Got hit with an Over… Keep moving. I'm going to meet with Ash…"_

His com was breaking up. But knowing that he is alive sent a wave of relief through me.

"Do you need backup?" Garrus asked.

"_No! Stick with the …an. I'll be… … … … Adrian ou-" _The com broke off, and we were met with white noise. I looked at Garrus with worried eyes. His mandibles twitched. Everyone looked at me for what to do next. Adrian wanted us to keep moving. Plus, knowing him, he would scold me for trying to rescue him. All I can do was believe in him. He believed in me, and right now, he needed my confidence in him.

"We keep moving. Adrian is still alive, and he will move to Ashley's position as planned. Let's go," I said. My voice was stoic as ever, but right now, I just needed to keep moving.

The next battle was quick. Geth were all over the place, but with my team and the Normandy coming in, we quickly took them out. Kadian, along with a few Engineer's, moved the nuke in position. Soldier's took position's to grant Kadian cover in case any Geth attacked. As we were setting up, Kadian walked up to me.

"Where's Adrian?" he asked. I looked away.

"We lost contact with him. Something is wrong with his com, but he is going to meet with Ashley's group. Hopefully…" I was worried about him. I'd be a bad girlfriend and a bad Commander if I wasn't worried. Kadian placed his hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sure he will be fine. He's a lot tougher than he looks," he said. I looked at him, and gave him a small smile. It didn't help really, but he gave it a shot. Right?

"Commander!" Garrus yelled as he hurried to us. "Ashley is calling for reinforcements! She and the Salarian's are getting swarmed by Geth! I don't think they will survive if we don't help them!"

Damnit! This wasn't supposed to happen. We were going to set up the nuke, get picked up, then swing by and pick them up. I looked at Kadian, and he nodded at me.

"Squad! Form up! We are going to assist Ashley and the Salarian's! Kadian, hold this position!"

"You got it Commander! Everyone to your posts! Keep watch for Geth!" Kadian ordered. As for myself and the squad we moved out.

We met little resistance from a few Geth and a Krogan warlord. Wrex made short work against the Krogan. We were getting close to Ashley's position until the com went off in my ear.

"Commander!" it was Kadian. My heart dropped, again. I swear I'm going to have a heart attack by the end of this mission. "Geth are attacking our position! We are getting swarmed out here!" he said.

Shit.

"Commander, if we go back to Kadian there is the possibility that we will lose Ashley and the Salarians. Same goes for Kadian and the Marines if we go for Ashley. Your call," Garrus said.

God damnit! Why is this happen!? Why!? First I lose contact with my boyfriend, and I don't know if he is still alive. Ashley and Kirrahe are pinned down, and now Kadian is pinned. And to make it all worse, I can only save one person. Someone has to die. Fuck. I can't do this…

What will Adrian do? What will Anderson do? Anderson would want to save the most people he could. And that would be Ashley's group. And Adrian. I'm not sure what he would do. From his stories he told me and my sister, he would always go for the objective. Meaning that he would be protecting the bomb. But he isn't an assassin anymore, and he has changed. Plus, he was going to Ashley. It was the plan. As selfish as it sounds, I wanted to save him out of everyone else.

The voices of everyone around me, plus Ashley and Kadian voices in my ear. Either one trying to convince me to save the other. Then, Anderson's voice came to my mind. One of his rules. Sacrifice one to save five. Always try to save the most people you can, even if it means losing the closest friend. Or a lover. I made the call.

"Ashley. Sit tight, we are coming for you," I said, my voice serious as usual. My "commander" voice Adrian would call it.

"_Damnit!" _Ashley yelled. I took a breath, and suppressed (well tried too) my emotions.

"Kadian… I'm sorry…" I said breathlessly.

"_I have no regrets Commander. And Commander… It's been an honor and a privilege to know you_." I felt tears in my eyes.

"Likewise Kadian…"

I closed the com, and took a few moments for myself, then ordered my squad to move. We hurried to Ashley's position. I could see Geth hammering down on Ashley and the Salarian's. I gave the ordered and we attacked. My emotions almost taking over of my judgment. I didn't see Adrian.

I was saddened that I would lose a friend. But above all else, I was angry. Angry that Saren caused all this. Because of him, so many people died. Liara lost her mother, the people of Feros almost lost their minds. And I would be losing Kadian. For a second, I let my thoughts wonder. Wondering what it would be like with him. I knew he loved me. That he cared about me. But my feelings were for someone else.

And he was nowhere to be seen. That black and gold armor he would where. The two pistols in his hands. The cocky tone he would carry during the mission. Not seeing him here, during the battle worried me. It scared me. Not being able to see him, or have him next to me. I felt alone. And this is a battlefield. I can't imagine what it would be like without Adrian back in the Normandy.

"Shepard!" A voice I didn't recognized screamed. I turned, only to be blown away by an explosion. My squad and a few of the Salarian's were blown away by the blast. I was dazed. Trying to focus, my ears ringing . I looked over and saw Wrex and Garrus trying to get up. Their movements were just as groggy as mine were.

I heard footsteps marching towards me and I turned to see Saren. I tried to reach for my pistol, but Saren was too quick. His three fingered hands wrapped around my throat, cutting off any oxygen from my lungs. I gripped his wrists and tried to pry his hands off but he was too strong.

"You've only slowed the inevitable, Shepard…" he said. His voice was evil, and his eyes glowed blue. He tightened his grip and my eyes widened. I can't die here. "I might as well kill you here and move on. It will make the journey so much easier without a thorn at my side."

His grip tightened even more. Water was forming in my eyes, and I tried to grasp for air. My lungs burned for air. My strength was weak and my vision was blurring. Am I going to die?

As I lied on the ground, I could hear a scream. It was faint, but it took Saren's attention from me. Next thing I saw was a mass of black and gold tackling Saren off of me. I coughed out for air and rolled to my side. I wiped away the tears that formed in my eyes and looked to see what just rescued me. I was shocked.

It was Adrian. Going toe to toe with Saren. Adrian spun and kicked at Saren, forcing the Turian to back away. The Drell training was coming out, like with his fight with Kadian. Only this time, Adrian was putting more force into his attacks.

Saren moved in and countered, pushing Adrian back. He charged, but Adrian was quicker and launched an Overload into Saren. The Turian roared at being shocked, and Adrian took the initiative. Of course Adrian would use Tech in a fight like this.

Adrian charged, but Saren was just as fast. He glowed blue with Biotic energy and with a small blast, he push Adrian away. My heart beat quickened. Biotics is Adrian weakness. His Achilles Heel so to speak. Adrian was slow to get up, and Saren saw an opening. However, Adrian thought fast and took out his pistols, sending a barrage of bullets at Saren. Saren was forced to use a barrier to deflect the bullets.

Pistols emptied, Adrian holstered his weapons. Saren took down his Barrier but Adrian used this against him. Adrian fired off his Snap Freeze tech, freezing Saren with Cryo tech. He charged, and activated his Omni-shield, only to bash Saren with it. Saren fell back, but now he was fueled with rage. He charged at Adrian with punches and jabs. Adrian tried his best to block at first, but once he got a hand at how Saren was attacking he started using it against the Turian. Saren went for a swipe at Adrian's head, but Adrian ducked out of the way. He then sent a fierce uppercut into Saren's jaw.

Saren reeled back, blue blood coming out of his mouth. I heard a few cheers coming from my side. It was Wrex and Garrus, along with a few Salarian's watching the fight. They knew they couldn't stand a chance against Saren. Plus, they didn't want to get in the way.

The two squared off, and Adrian withdrew his combat knife. Saren chuckled at him.

"You fight well. As is expected," Saren said. Adrian looked at him, his T-visor glaring at him.

"I take it you've heard of me," Adrian said with a hiss. His voice was tired and strained. I immediately knew that his burns were flaring. I called for Joker to hurry the hell up.

"Of course. The black and gold warrior traveling with Shepard. Shooting down hoards of Rachni and Geth that got in his way. It will be an honor to kill you and Shepard," Saren spat, blood coming out of his mouth from Adrian's uppercut. Adrian scoffed.

"You want to get to Shepard, you'll have to go through me," Adrian paused, tossing his knife back and forward. "And I don't plan to lose today." Just like Adrian to get a little cocky.

Saren chuckled for a bit, then charged with a roar. Biotic's flaring. I heard Adrian cursed. Using his Biotics, Saren was fueling his attacks, forcing Adrian to dodge. Even with his knife, Adrian couldn't get a hit on him. I tried to get up, but I was too weak from being choked out.

"GAHH!" Adrian yelled out. Saren used his Biotic's to push Adrian down. Adrian laid sprawled on the floor, knife still in hand, and shaking. His burns were taking a toll on him. Saren brought his hand down and wrapped in out around Adrian throat and lifted him up from the ground. Saren's hand glowed from the reaction to the burns and his Biotics. He chuckled.

"Biotic burning… You're a fool to face me with such a weakness. Adrian Dawn." Adrian let out a grunt. "That's right. I know who you are. The infamous assassin Spade. I remembered myself hiring you to kill Shepard, along with other assassin's. But what did you do? You killed them instead and saved the damn human. I could've made you powerful if you'd followed orders."

I was shocked. I knew Adrian killed assassin's that were hired to kill me. But I didn't know Adrian was also hired. Adrian's head moved, and it looked like he was glaring right back into Saren. Adrian grunted.

"See you in hell, you fucking bastard…" he growled. He then brought his hand up that held the knife and stabbed Saren in the shoulder. The Turian yelled in pain and dropped Adrian.

"Open fire!" Kirrahe yelled. The Salarian's, along with a few Marines and my Squad started shooting at Saren. He threw up a Barrier and took off for the edge. He jumped down, only to be caught by a floating platform. He flew away, and turned towards us.

"We'll meet again Commander!" he yelled as he flew away.

At that moment the Normandy flew in, the docking bay door opening. Wounded were carried, and the alive hurried to get inside. Tali and Liara helped Ashley, who was injured. Wrex carried a few Marines back inside. And I ran to Adrian he was barely moving. I reached down to him, and my hands flared. His burnings were getting worst.

With the help from Garrus, we carried him back into the Normandy. He started mumble something, but I couldn't hear him due to his helmet. I took it off, and my breath caught in my throat. His burns had increased to his neck and were glowing blue. His eyes were closed and his breathing was heavy.

"Hold on Adrian… You're going to make it," I choked out. Adrian's eyes barely opened and he looked at me.

"I'm… sorry… about Kadian," he said. "I'm sorry…"

Tears formed in my eyes, but I stayed strong. I have to, for him. We laid him on the floor of the elevator and I knelt beside him. I held on his hand, squeezing it. Trying to send my strength to him. I brushed his hair. His breathing was heavy and labored.

"Live Adrian. Please… You have to live…"

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**And that's a wrap!**

**Like I said, I'm sorry it took me so long to post this. But hey, at least I'm still continuing this and not leaving it high and dry. This chapter took som thinking to do. The fight scene between Saren and Adrian was going to happen. It was just everything else before that. But, I was able to get something done.**

**Almost done as we are nearing the end. Next up will be the return to the citadel then Ilos. It is going to be a wild ride.**

**KD**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to the next chapter of Spade. First, again must apologize that it is taking me so long to post anything. A lot has been going on this summer. Process of moving, trips, family. You know the deal. And as much as I love to write, Life takes a first priority. Now, this doesn't mean that I'm cancelling Spade. Spade will continue and will go on. As for any notes on this chapter. You are just going to have to read it. **

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Chapter 23: Words Cannot Express

Adrian POV

The mood in the briefing room was… low. Everyone was tired, and wounded. A form of medical work done on them. The only two that didn't were Wrex and Tali. Wrex had that redundant nervous system that gives him regenerative abilities. And Tali had the suit. Everyone else, had bandages, casts, and slings. Garrus was the best out of all of us. Of few scrapes and burns, and a patch on his, cheek?

Liara had a few bandages as well. Both arms wrapped, and a wicked bruise on her cheek. Ashley was no better. Arm in a sling and cast, a leg bandaged up, a pair of crutches on her side. She got hit pretty hard when the Geth swarmed her squad. Felt terrible about it too. She lost her squad back on Eden Prime, and now she lost a few lives on Virmire. Her mental health must be cracking.

As for myself, well, let's just say Saren did a number on me. My arm was dislocated during the fight. Can't say when exactly, probably when he dropped me. I was sore, but I'm pretty sure everyone is. A patch on my cheek, my good arm wrapped up, and my legs as well. And my burns have increased. Joy. Plus what bothered me was what Chakwas told me, but that will be saved for later.

And Eden. She was hurt to. Physically and mentally. She had an arm wrapped up, as well as her neck. I didn't see, but Saren left bruising all along her neck. It pissed my off, and I wanted nothing more than go after that fucking Turian. Mentally, she was crushed. I could see the tear streaks on her cheeks. I don't how long she has been crying. It has only been a day since then. Emotions were still high.

We all sat in our designated seating. Everyone was silent, minus a few tears here and there. Tali's was shacking, and her shoulders would twitch. No doubt she was crying. Liara had a tear or two fall, as well as Ash. Wrex, Garrus, and I were quiet. I had nothing to say, and to be fair, I was in no place to say anything. Eden stood in the center, like always.

Damn, I can't imagine what she is going through. Not only is Kadian gone, but we lost a few Marines. The squad that was with him, and a few that were with Ashley. I didn't know most of them, but coming from a military family I know how the family is going to react. Rage, sadness, shock. It was how I felt when my father died. Same with my mother.

My hand went up to the tags wrapped around my neck. My father's tags, along with my mother's wedding band. I clenched my fist around them. Wondering if they are watching me right know. Are they proud? Disappointed? Ashamed at what I was doing here? Could they even see me? Being a different universe and all. Their spirits may not exist here. If you believe in such a thing.

"Damn you Spade…" What? I looked up and saw Ashely glaring at me. If looks could kill.

"What?" I asked in return. Tali flinched at my voice. I'm not in the mood to have blame pointed at me.

"You are probably happy that Kadian is dead. You're just beaming with joy, aren't you!?" Her voice was shaky, and her eyes watery. I sighed and looked away. Everyone was looking at me. Liara had a questioning look. Garrus and Wrex were curious. Tali looked down, and Eden had her eyes close.

Really? Everyone is wondering the same thing, huh?

"I take it you are all wondering the same thing?" I asked. Some looked away. I clicked my tongue. Looks like I'm still the bad guy here. Well, in some eyes. Wrex I'm sure has my back, Garrus as well. Tali, maybe and only because of our shared interest in Tech. Liara and Ash, however, probably wish me dead. And Eden? I know we are dating and all, but she needs to be in the middle in this. Plus, I don't want to drag her into a debate.

I stood up, wincing at the pain coursing through my body. Tali looked like she was about to stand up and help, but I put my hand up. She sat back down, and I looked at Ash. I've mastered the expressionless face a long time ago. I looked at her in the eyes.

"Although Kadian and I had our differences, he was still a good soldier, and a good man. And it pains me to see that he is gone. But, words will not heal any wounds. At least mine won't," I said. She looked away from me, but I could still feel the hatred she felt towards me. I took a breath and started to walk away. "I'll be in my room. It's clear that I'm not welcomed here."

I didn't bother to look at anyone else, only Eden. She flinched a little, and her face dropped. I didn't want to do this to her, but for her, and my sake, me leaving the room is the best thing.

It was a struggle to get down the stairs, and a few Cadet's offered help. I just glared at them. My pride isn't wounded, and I don't want pity from anyone right now. Getting to the second floor, the mood was heavy. Everyone there was quiet and were staring at me. A few Salarian's were there, and sent nods to me. I ignored them. Like I said earlier, not a big fan of Salarian's.

A few Marines nodded as well. Ignored them too. Can give a rat's ass if they felt the same as Ash, or not. I'm just not in the mood right now. Call me a douche bag if you like, I can care less. I know word spread around about my fight with Saren, and maybe that earned respect with a few Marines. But the feud between myself and Kadian was the biggest thing on this ship. From who Eden will pick, to when the next fight will come around. It was disgusting, and to be honest, I didn't want to hear any of their words.

I limped into my room, and fell in my chair. My terminal was going off. Messages. Probably from Nalik. He has been giving me reports for the Mandalorian idea. I pinched the bridge of my nose, and clenched my eyes shut. I'm too tired for reports right now. But if I put them aside I'll never get around it.

Turning on the terminal, I started scrolling through the messages. Of course, from Nalik. One from him, and the other two from Tiffany and June. Interesting. Didn't think June would send me a message. First thing first, Nalik's. It was lengthy, but overall, good news. He found people that were on board the idea. Mercenaries looking for a purpose, shipyards willing to build ships, weapons and armor manufacturers, and funding. And, someone that is willing to start the Basilisk Project. I told Nalik that I must be a part of that. At least, the beginning stages anyway.

This is probably the only good news so far. And it is something I'll take in full stride. I need to send him the schematics I've been working on as well. Armor for different species, and special suits for those that I care about. Eden and June really. Speaking of which.

I checked June's message. A thank you note. Her thanking me for finding her and reuniting with her sister. Thanking me for giving her two trainers. She said Reila was an amazing teacher, and that she has been making progress. And, of course, a threat that If I ever hurt Eden she will hunt me down and kill me. Great. Couldn't help but smile at that. She is so much like her sister. Smart, witty, and a good heart. Eden is lucky.

Lastly was Tiffany. She was happy to have shore leave, and was grateful to have met June. She and her have become close friends, and are now living together. Always good to hear, or read, in this case. She's ready to get back on the Normandy and see everyone. Fuck. She doesn't know. And I hate to give out bad news for her when she is having such a good time. Still, she'd be pissed to found out at a later date. Plus her moral will be low if she finds out when she comes back.

I readied myself before I started typing. I may just have made her shore leave terrible. At least she'll have June in the mean time. Typing the message, with one hand mind you, my door opened. Not bothering who it may be, I just kept typing. It is pretty difficult to type with one hand. Once I got the message done and sent, I stood up and looked at my "guest". Ashley.

"You have a lot of nerve leaving the briefing room," she said. Her eyes were watery. Just a few more moments and the water works start again. "Do you really hate Kadian that much? Are you glad that he is dead!?" she started. My face, expressionless.

"He tried to make amends to you. He tried to see you in a different light. But now he is gone, and he'll never be able to see you who everyone else does. How Garrus sees you. How Eden sees you. …How I see you…" The last part got me. I never really thought how others actually saw how I was. Well, that's not true. I know how Eden sees me, and Garrus as well. But not how Ashley sees me. I looked at her, and her brown eyes were trained to the floor. The tears started to fall.

"You don't really care, do you? At the fact that he and others were dead. Yeah, not a lot of Marines liked you, but after what you've done for Eden. Finding her sister and bringing her home. Everyone saw the goodness in your heart. But it wasn't enough, huh? It wasn't… It wasn't…"

She started to shake, and the tears were falling now. In the corner of my eye, I saw the others from the squad. I'm not sure what their faces could be, and at the moment I didn't care. Ashley, who I consider a friend, is broken. Her heart, her spirit, her moral. She just lost a dear friend, and is subconsciously blaming me. I don't blame her though. Kadian and I never liked each other to begin with. Maybe in the end, there was a moment of mutual likeness. But it was cut short at Virmire. A planet that will be burned into my memory.

I went up to her, and brought her close to me. My arm wrapped around her, and my chin on the top of her head. Yes, I'm that tall.

"I'm so sorry Ashley…" I started. "As much as Kadian and I had our differences, I'm also going to miss him very much." It was short, but it was the best thing I could say. She started to sob, but she didn't move. What I said was true. Even though we had our differences, I'm going to miss Kadian. The Canadian L2 with severe migraines, a hard head, but overall, a good heart.

I looked over to the group. Some nodded, others had hands over their mouth. But my eyes fell at my dark haired, green eyed beauty. Even though she had a sad demeanor, a small smile was on her face. She gave me a smile nod before she left. I'm going to have to talk to her later.

"Sir?" A Cadet said coming up. Ashley broke her grip and went back. I looked at her and nodded. She didn't smile, but she wiped a few tears away and nodded back before she left.

"What?" I asked, my voice extremely low. I didn't bother to look at the Cadet. He flinched at little.

"Dr. Chakwas asked to see you about your arm sir. And to speak to you about an important detail on your health." Damn. I knew what she wanted to talk about.

"Thank you. I'll see her in a minute." He saluted and left.

Heading to the Med-bay was the longest walk I ever had to take. Knowing what Doc is going to say. I'm not even sure how to react to it. Damn burns. Walking into the Med-bay, was probably the hardest thing I've ever done. She nodded, and told me to sit. It was a big blur really. She checked my arm, checked off that it was fine now, only going to be sore for a while. At least I have my arm back. She gave me a dose of burn serum, which was also a huge relief. But what happened next, was something that would take the mood to an all time low.

"Have you told anyone?" she asked. I looked down and shook my head. She sighed.

"They need to know Adrian. Especially Eden. They need to prepare themselves for what is to come."

"Look Doc. I'm barely having the time to register it myself. Once I'm ready, then I'll tell everyone. But consider what has happened, I don't think the crew need any more bad news on their plate."

She looked away at that. I knew all about how she took care for Kadian. How she took care of all of us. We were like her children, and for her to lose one was something she wished to never happen.

"Then… I guess it is no use to tell you that I do not recommend field work?" she asked. I smirked for once.

"Not even something like that will keep me down. I'll keep fighting till this is over. Once Saren is dead, and Eden is safe, will I put my pistols up."

"It may speed up the process. Are you willing to live with that?" I nodded.

"I knew the risks when I first joined up with this team. I think one added risk wouldn't do much to stop me."

She looked at me with a motherly disposition. She really is like the mom for us all.

"Just take care of yourself Adrian. I don't want to lose anyone else during this war." I stood up and head for the door.

"I can't make promises I can't keep Doc. But… I'll damn as well try to live up to that promise."

Walking out of the Med-bay, I stopped. The reality hitting me like a fucking Krogan slamming me with a hammer. Fuck! I brought my palm to my face. Rubbing my eyes and face. I could feel myself shake. A minor panic attack. Having had one since I lost Stephanie. Damnit. I looked over and saw the dim green light from Eden's door. Visiting her may not best, but it is needed.

Opening the door, I saw her on her desk. Head in her hands, and terminal on. She is probably writing letters to the families that lost loved ones. Can't imagine what that may be like. Course, I never had to write one. Those in the Organization never had a family to go too. That was the thing Robert always said. 'We are the outcaste, the shunt, and the forgotten. And it is one hell of an advantage'. Damn what I could do to have my drinking buddy back. Hell, what I'll do for a fucking drink.

I went up to her and brought a hand to her shoulder. She flinched a little, and looked up at me. Those green eyes. A stray tear sliding down her cheek. I instinctively brushed it away. She sniffled and gripped my hand.

"Thank you. For what you said to Ashley," she said. I nodded and sat on her desk.

"Of course. She and Kadian were close." She nodded.

"To bad she yelled at you first."

"Ah, it was bound to happen. I don't have the highest rep onboard the Normandy."

We were silent after that. For a bit. The mood here, and all over the Normandy, was like this. Low, sad, angry. Although that anger is questionable. Not sure if it is for Saren or me.

"How are you holding up?" she asked. I panicked for a second. Not sure what to say really.

"I'm alive…" I said. I cleared my throat. This is hard. "How about yourself Eden. I'm sure this isn't easy for you."

She stood up, pulling me along with her. We sat on her bed, and she leaned into me.

"I'm tired…" she said. I kissed her forehead.

"Understandable. It has been a tough day for all of us."

"Will you stay with me until we get to the Citadel?" she asked. Her voice was soft, but shaky.

"Of course… I'll stay with you until the end…" I whispered.

We ended up laying on her bed. Nothing sexual I'll tell you. Just, embracing really. She fell asleep soon after, and I laid away. Her biotics lightly glowing. It was soothing really. Something I'm going to miss with all things considering.

And with what Chakwas told me, this final stretch is going to be difficult. But as long as she lives. As long as Eden is alive. Then the true fight may just be won. And this weakness I have, although may be a crutch, will not slow her down.

I have a mission to protect her. And I will, even if I don't have much time. I'll finish my work with the Mandalorian's. Get them started and moving. And give them to her. It will be her greatest weapon when the Reapers show.

As for when I'll tell her. I'm not sure when. I mean how can you tell someone you really love that. That the fact that I don't have long. That in truth, I'm dying.

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**And epic moment dropped. Not what you expected in a Self Insert? Well I have my reason's. Let's just say, Adrian is going to be changing a lot in the timeline for Mass Effect.**

**Either than that, Not much to say.**

**KD**


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